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^^^HE  present  rendering   of  the  Old  Testament   is   not  a   revision   of 
'  ■■■■^  the  Authorized  Version,  but  a  New  Translation  from  the  Hebrew, 
modern  Enghsh.     The   aim   has   been  to  render  the   sense   of 
the  original  as  faithfully  as   possible   rather   than  to   sacrifice  that  5 
sense  in  order  to  give  a  literal  translation. 

This  new  Translation  appeals  to  all  interested  in  the  Bible. 
The  Explanatory  Notes  are  free  from  technical  details  which 
have  no  interest  for  the  average  reader.  We  had  no  desire  (as 
the  translators  of  the  Authorized  Version  say  in  their  Preface)  lo 
/o  weary  the  unlearned,  who  need  not  knozu  so  much,-  and  trouble  the  learned, 
who  know  it  already.  The  reader  may  rest  assured,  however,  that  all  variations 
from  the  Authorized  Version  in  the  present  Translation  are  the  results  of  the 
ripest  Biblical  scholarship  of  the  present  generation  both  in  Europe  and  in 
America.  The  translation  is  based  throughout  on  the  new  critical  edition  of  the  15 
Hebrew  text  of  the  Old  Testament,  published  under  the  auspices  of  the  Johns 
Hopkins  University,   Baltimore. 

Departures  from  the  Received  Text  are  indicated  by  special  marks,  whereby 
the  reader  can  see  at  a  glance  whether  a  variation  is  based  on  parallel  passages, 
or  on  the  authority  of  the  Ancient  Versions,  or  is  merely  a  conjectural  emenda-  20 
tion,  &c.  These  critical  marks  are,  designedly,  so  unobtrusive  as  not  to  inter- 
fere with  the  comfort  of  the  ordinary  reader ;  they  are  mainly  intended  for  the 
benefit  of  those  who  are  interested  in  the  details  of  textual  criticism. 


€;i:pfanation  of  Criftcaf  (TflarRe. 

(i)  <  »  {i.  e.  V  =  Versions)   indicate  a    reading   adopted   on  the    authority  of  25 
the  Ancient  Versions  [Scptuagint,    Targums,   Peshita,    Vulgate.   &c.,   in   reference 
to   which   the   reader   may  consult  the  Preface  to   the   Authorized  Version,  also 
the  List  of  Abbreviations  below,  p.  ix,  under  LXX,  Pesh.,  Targ.,  Vulg. ). 

(2)  <  >  (i.  e.  c  =  conjecture)  indicate  Conjectural  Emendations. 

(3)  ■  ■   (i.  e.  3,    the   first  letter  of  the   Hebrew   word    llpj    niqqi'id   'punctua-  30 
tion ' )  indicate  changes  involving  merely  a  different  division  of  the  consonantal 
text,  or  a  departure   from  the  vowel-points  which  the  so-called  Masorites  added 

to  the  original  consonantal  text  in  the  eighth  and  ninth  centuries  A.  d. 

(4)  »  «  (;'.  e.O=  Qere)  indicate  that  the  marginal  reading  (Heb.  Otre  'what 

is  to  be  read')  has  been  adopted  instead  of  the  Kt'lhib  'what  is  written.'  35 


VI  — **e«<®<c-  3nfroJuc(org  (RcmarRs  -!!^is+'<? — 

(5)  '  '   indicate  clianges  int«)diiced  by  reason  of  Parailtl  Passages. 

(6)  ■■  '  indicate  Doubtful  Words  or  Passages. 

(7)  <  •  indicate  deviations  from  tlie  Received  (or  MasoreticJ  Te.\t,  suggested 
Ijy  tlic  Versions  as  well  as  by  Parallel  Passages. 

5  (8)  <  >  indicate    departures   from    the   Masoretic    reading   of  the   consonantal 

te.\t,  which  are  supported  by  the  Ancient  Versions. 

(9)  In    cases    where    critical    marks     occur    without    any    letters    or    words 
between   them   (>-,  >>,  &c. ),  Omissions  are  indicated,  based  on  the  Versions  or 
on  Conjectural  Emendations,  &c. 
10  (10)  •  •  indicate  words  implied,  but   not   expressed,   in  the    Hebrew.     These 

tnarks,  therefore,   take  the  place  of  ihUics  in  the  Authorized  X'ersion. 

(11)  []  indicate  Transposed  Passages,  the  traditional  position  of  the  words 
in  the  Received  Text  lieing  marked  by  [],  while  the  transposed  words  are 
enclosed  in  [  ]  ;  see  e.  g.  Ps.  35  ,  7. 

15  (12)   I   indicates  transposition  of  the  Masoretic  ";"  which  marks  the  end  of 

a  verse  in  the  Hebrew  Text. 

(13) indicate  Corrupt  and  Unintelligible  Passages. 

(14)   *****  indicate  Lacun;e  in  the  Hebrew  Text. 

<E,i:pfana(ion  of  Coforo. 

20  Older  incorporated  documents  or  later  sections  in  Biblical  Books  of  a  com- 

posite character  are  printed  on  backgrounds  of  different  colors.  The  explana- 
tion of  the  colors  employed  in  the  Books  of  Isaiah  and  of  Judges  is  given  on 
p.  132  of  the  Notes  on  Isaiah  and  on  p.  46  of  the  Notes  on  Judges,  respectively. 

25  Words   or    passages   printed    as   notes    at   the   bottom   of   the   pages    of   the 

translation  represent  subsequent  additions  to  the  original  text ;  cf.  Notes  on 
Judges,  p.  47,   11.  5  ff. ;   Notes  on  Isaiah,   p.  209,  11.  33  ff 

(piargtnaf  jftgurcs. 

In  the  Explanatory  Notes  the  figures  in  the  margin  on  the  right  refer  to 
30  the  chapters  and  verses  commented  on  ;  the  figures  in  the  margin  on  the  left 
merely  number  the  lines.  ( )n  those  pages,  however,  where  there  are  no 
references  to  chapters  and  verses  in  the  margin  the  line-numbers  are  placed  in 
the  outer  margin.  In  the  Translation  the  lines  are  always  numbered  in  the 
inner  margin,  while  the  traditional  numbers  of  the  chapters  and  verses  are 
35  placed  in  the  outer  margin. 

15i:opg  faccii  (Tlum«raf8. 

Heavy-faced  numerals  are  used  instead  of  Roman  letters  to  distinguish  the 
nutnber  of  the  chapter  from  the  number  of  the  verse ;  e.  f^.  Ps.  88 ,  S  =  Psalm 
Ixxxviii,  verse  8 ;  but  Pss.  88 .  89  =  Psalm  Ixxxviii  and  Psalm  Ixxxix. 

40  Ijlcfcroncce  fo   (^tBficaf  (pa06agc6. 

References  to  Biblical  passages  follow,  throughout,  tlie  Authorized  Version, 

not    the  Hebrew  Te.xt.     It    is   well  known    that  the  division   of  the    chapters    is 

occasionally  not  the  same  in  the    Hebrew   and   in    the  English    Bibles;  and  that 

the   title  of   a    Psalm,    where    it    consists    of   more    than  two  words,  is   usually 

45  reckoned  in  Hebrew  as  the  first  verse. 


(Untranefafcft  l^cBrcw  (H>orb6. 

A  few  Hebrew  words  have  been  left  untranslated,  viz.  6e>i,  the  Hebrew 
word  for  son  (e.  g.  Isaiali  ben- Amoz-=  Isaiah,  the  son  of  Amos);  Shedl  (Heb. 
she'd/),  the  abode  of  departed  spirits,  the  habitation  of  the  dead  (Greek  Hades); 
Ashenih,  the  sacred  post  or  pole,  the  wooden  symbol  of  a  goddess,  beside  an  5 
altar  (see  Notes  on  Judges,  p.  57,  1.  32  ;  p.  69,  1.  22) ;  IVeged,  the  steppe-like 
region  in  the  South  of  Palestine  (see  Notes  on  Judges,  p.  49,  1.  8);  Arabah, 
the  great  geologic  depression  extending  from  the  Dead  Sea  to  the  eastern 
gulf  of  the  Red  Sea  (see  Notes  on  Judges,  p.  64,  1.  39;  cf.  Notes  on  Isaiah, 
p.  159.  1.  14 )  ;  Selah  at  the  end  of  certain  stanzas  in  the  Psalms  (see  Notes  on  10 
the  Psalms,  p.  165,  1.8);  Satan,  in  Huhrew  =  adversary,  accuser  (see  Notes  on 
Ps.  109,6);  Hallelujah  (Ps.  104,35  &c.  )  =  Praise  ye  Jah  (a  shorter  form  of 
Jhvh)  ;  Sabaoth  (cf.  Jas.  5,4;  Rom.  9  ,  29  =  Is.  1,9)  in  the  name  jHyH  Sabaoth, 
fnvH  of  the  Hosts,  i.  e.  the  God  of  the  armies  of  Israel  (i  Sam.  17,45;  cf.  Pss. 
44,9;  60,  10=  108,  11).     For  Jhvh,  see  below.  List  of  Abbreviations,  p.  viii.       15 

Craneftferafton  of  Ortcntaf  (TldmcB. 

All  Biblical  names  are  given  in  the  form  used  in  the  Authorized  Version. 
In  the  transliteration  of  other  Hebrew  words,  or  of  modern  Oriental  (Arabic) 
names,  the  vowels  have  their  Italian  sounds:  a  is  like  the  a  m  far  or  father; 
i  is  the  /  in  marine  j  and  fi  =  oo  in  cool ;  e  =  a  in  7iame ;  short  1  =  ;  in  pin  ;  20 
&c.  (e.  g.  Tel-Abil-Qudes=  Tel-Aboo-Koodace).  As  to  the  consonants,  j  and  y 
are  pronounced  as  in  English  ;  q  has  about  the  same  sound  as  English  c  in  cool 
(not  as  k  in  keel,  or  qu  in  queen) ;  '  is  the  Arabic  Ain,  the  voiced  form  of  the 
Arabic  //  which  may  be  described  as  a  stronger  variety  of  our  /; ;  kh  is  the 
guttural  ch  in  German  or  Scotch  loch  (Spanish  x  or  j);  f  is  a  modification  of  25 
our  .?  (with  an  inner  rounding)  which  affects  the  pronunciation  of  the  following 
vowels  (e.  g.  (in,  r\o\  =  seen,  but  more  like  sane;  fd  =  sa7V,  &c. ).  In  the 
majority  of  English  books  of  a  popular  character  the  letters  k  and  j  are  used 
for  q  and  f,  respectively  (e.  g.  el-Aksa  for  cl-Aqfd;  see  Psalms,  p.  235,  I.41). 

^pcffing. 

English  readers  who  object  to  the  'American'  spelling,  honor,  &c. ,  may  be 
referred  to  Henry  Sweet's  Ne~i>  English  Grammar  (Oxford,  Clarendon  Press, 
1892),  p.  xi  and  §  lyro,  &c.,  or  to  Dr.  Murray's  remarks  on  the  spelling  of  «,r 
in  the  New  English  Dictionary  on  Historical  Principles  (Oxford,  Clarendon 
Press).  35 

oHBBrooiattone. 

The  following  List  includes  a  large  number  of  abbreviations  which  would 
not  require  explanation  if  the  present  Translation  were  for  the  exclusive  use  of 
American  or  English  readers. 

&c.  stands  for  And  others,  or,  and  of  the  Book   of  Isaiah   in   the   present  40 

so  forth  ( Lat.  et  cceteri,  aeterce,  ccetera.  Translation,  &c. 
respectively).  =,  or  3,  &c.,  after  the  title  of  a  book 

I,  2,  3,  &c.,  before  the  name  of  a  {e.g.    Notes  on  Isaiah,  p.   157,  1.   19), 
Biblical  book,   stands  for   First   Book,  stands  for  second  or  third  editions,  re- 
Second  Book,  Third  Book,  &c.,  respec-  spectively. —  For  D^,  E^,  &c.,  see  D,  E,  45 
tively :    I    Kings  is  the  First   Book   of  &c. 

Kings  ;  2   Sam.  =the  Second   Book   of  ^  stands  for  first  part  (or  first  line) 

Samuel  ;    3   Psalms  =  the   Third    Book  of  a   verse.      Subdivisions   of  parts   of 

of  Psalms.     4  Isaiah  =  the  fourth   part  verses    are    indicated    by    '■  *,    respec- 


— «*«5*@5!-  3n'r«6uctorg  (Remarfta  -sj»5|rj*<- — 


lively;  e.  g.  2,14='''  (Judges,  p.  54, 
1.  36)  refers  to  the  second  clause  (*) 
of  the  first  part  (a)  of  the  verse  (and 
delivered  Ihcm  to  spoilers  who  despoiled 
5  /lietii).  The  first  clause  of  the  second 
half  of  the  verse  (and  lie  sold  theiii  into 
Ihe  power  of  their  enemies  on  all  sides) 
uould  be  v.  14I''. 

A.  u.  =  In    the    year  of  our    Lord 
10  (  Lat.  Anno  Doinini). 

Am.=  Amos. 

Ant.  =  Antiquities,     especially    the 

work  of  the  Jewish  historian  Josephus 

(i37-iooi  A.  D. )  on  Jewish  Antiquities. 

15  ARV  =  Authorized     and     Revised 

Versions. 

AV  =  Authorized  Version. 

AVM  =  Authorized   Version,    mar- 
gin. 
20  Ij  =  Second   part   (or  second    line) 

of  a  verse  ;  see  ". 

Bar.=  Baruch. 

B.  c.=  Before  Christ. 
Bibl.=  Biblical. 

25  I-  =  Third  part  (or  third  line)  of  a 

verse ;  see  ". 

c,  or  C.=  Chapter. 

cc,  or  CC.  =  Chapters. 

rn.=  about  (Lat.  circa'). 
30  Cant.  =  Song    of  Solomon    (  Canti- 

cles). 

cent.=  Century. 

cf.,ovCf.=  Compare  (Lat.  confer). 

Chr.,  or  Chron.=  Chronicles. 
35  col.,  or  Col.=  Column. 

Col.=  Colossians. 

Cor.  =  Corinthians. 

d  =  Fourth  part  (or  fourth  line)  of 
a  verse  ;  see  ". 
40  D  =  Deuteronomy,  or  the  author  of 

Deuteronomy ;   see   Notes   on  Judges, 
p.  46,  1.  15  ;  p.  53.  1-  10. 

D^  =  Deuteronomistic  editors. 

Dan.=  Daniel. 
45  Deut.=  Deuteronomy. 

E  =  East. 

E  =  Ephrainiitic  Writer  ;  see  Notes 
on  Judges,   p.  46,  1.  24. 

E'^  =  Later    additions    to    E  ;    see 
50  Notes  on  Judges,  p.  46,  1.  40. 

Eccl.,  or  Eccles.  =  Ecclesiastes. 

ed.=  Edition. 

f.  ^.=  For  example  (Lat.   exempli 
gratia). 


ENE  =  East-North-East. 

Eph.=  Ephesians. 

esp.=  Especially. 

Esth.=  Esther. 

Ex.,  or  Exod.=  Exodus. 

Ez.,  or  Ezek.=  Ezekiel. 

f  =  and  the  following  verse  (or 
line,  t)r  page,  &c. ). 

ff.  =  and  the  following  verses  (or 
lines,  or  pages,  &c.). 

fig.,  or  Fig.=  Figure. 

Gal.=  Galatians. 

Gen.=  Genesis. 

H  =  The  Law  of  Holiness  (Lev. 
17-26)  ;  see  Notes  on  Leviticus,  p.  56. 

Hab.=  Habakkuk. 

Hag.,   or  Hagg,=  Haggai. 

Heb.=  Hebrew,  or  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews. 

Her.=  Herodotus. 

Hom.=  Homer. 

Hos.=  Hosea. 

ib.,  or  ibid.=  In  the  same  place 
(Lat.  ibidem). 

i.  c.  =  That  is  (Lat.  id  est). 

//.=  Iliad. 

in. =  inch,  or  inches. 

Inscr.  =  Inscription. 

Is.,  or  Isa.=  Isaiah. 

J  =  Judaic  Writer;  see  Notes  on 
Judges,  p.  46,  1.  23. 

Jas.  =  James. 

JE  =  The  Prophetic  Narrative  of 
the  Hexateuch,  composed  of  J  and  E  ; 
see  Notes  on  Judges,  ji.  46,  11.  26.41; 

P-  5.3.   1-  35- 

Jer.  =  Jeremiah. 

Jhvh  =  the  Hebrew  name  of  tlie 
Supreme  Being,  erroneously  written 
and  pronounced  Jehovah.  The  true 
pronunciation  seems  to  have  been  Yah- 
zvay ;  see  Notes  on  the  Psalms,  p.  163, 
II.  36  ff. 

Jon.  =  Jonah. 

Jos.,  or  Josh.  =  Joshua. 

K.=  Kings. 

I.  or  L.  =  Line. 

II,  or  LL.=  Lines. 
Lam.=  Lamentations. 
Lat.  =  Latin. 

lb.  =  Pound  (Lat.  libra). 
Ibs.=  Pounds. 

/.  c.  =  In  the  jilace  before  cited 
(Lat.  loco  citato). 


3ti(roJ)uctorg  (^cmarfte 


Lev.  =  Leviticus. 

lit.,  or  Lit.=  Literally. 

LXX  =  Septuagint,  the  ancient 
Greek  X'ersion  of  OT,  made  in  Egypt 
by  Hellenistic  Jews  (3<'-ist  cent.  B.C.). 

M  =  margin.     Cf.  AV,  RV. 

Macc.=  Maccabees. 

Mal.=  ISLilachi. 

Matth.=  Matthew. 

Meg.  =  MegiUah    (the    Heb.   word 
for  scroll,   I'olumc). 

Mic.=  Micah. 

MS  =  Manuscript. 

MSS  =  Manuscripts. 

Mt.  =  Mount,  or  Mountain. 

n.  =  Note. 

nn.=  Notes. 

Nah.=  Nahum. 

NE  =  North-East. 

Neh.  =  Nehemiah. 

NNE  =  North-Xorth-East. 

no.,  or  No. =  Number. 

nos.,  or  Nos.  =  Numbers. 

NT  =  New  Testament. 

Num.  =  The  Book  of  Numbers. 

NW  =  North-West. 

Ob.,  or  Obad.=  Obadiah. 

Od.,  or  Ofl[j'-S-5- =  Odyssey. 

op.  cit.—  In  the  work  before  cited 
(Lat.  opere  citato). 

OT  =  Old  Testament. 

P  =  Priestly  Writer  ;  see  Notes  on 
Judges,  p.  92,  41  ;  cf.  Notes  on  Levit- 
icus, p.  56. 

p.,  or  ?.=  Page. 

pp.,  or  PP.  =  Pages. 

Pesh.=  Peshita,  the  earliest  Syriac 
Version  of  the  Old  Testament. 


Phil.=  Philippians. 

Prov.  =  Proverbs. 

Ps.=  Psalm. 

Pss.  =  Psalms. 

R  =  Redactor  or  editor.  5 

RJ''^  =  Redactor  of  JE  ;  see  Notes 
on  Judges,  p.  46,  11.  26.45. 

Rev.=  Revelation. 

Rom.=  Romans. 

RV  =  Revised  Version.  10 

RVM  =  Revised  Version,  margin. 

S  =  South. 

S.,  or  Sam.  =  Samuel. 

SE  =  South-East. 

sec.=  Second.  15 

Sir.  =:  Ecclesiasticus  (The  Wisdom 
of  Jesus,  the  son  of  Sirach). 

Sol.=  Solomon. 

SW  -  South- West. 

Targ.  =  Targuni,  the  Jewish  trans-  20 
lation  or  paraphrase  of  the  Scriptures 
in  the  Western  Aramaic  dialect. 

Thess.  =  Thessalonians. 

Tim.  =  Timothy. 

Tob.  =  Tobit.  25 

v.,  or  V.=  Verse. 

vv.,  or  VV.=  Verses. 

j'2>.=  Namely  (Lat.  videlicet). 

vol.,   or  Vol.=  X'olume. 

vols.,  or  Vols.  =  Volumes.  30 

Vulg.=  Vulgate,  the  ancient  Latin 
Version  of  the  Bible,  made  by  St. 
Jerome  about  400  a.  d. 

W  =  West. 

WNW  =  West-North-West.  35 

WSW  =  West-South-West. 

Zech.=  Zechariah. 

Zeph.  =:  Zephaniah. 


(Etfracta  from  i%i  (preface  of  t^c  .flut^orijcS  (Pcreion. 

In    conclusion,    no    words   of  ours   can   so   befittingly,    or  so   eloquently,  set  40 
forth  the  motives   which  have   guided   us,  or  so  amply  justify  our  Translation, 
as  the  following  e.xtracts   from  the  Preface  to  the  Authorized  Version  of  161 1; 
three  hundred  years  have  not  veiled  their  truth,  and  they  encourage  us  to-day 
in  tones  as  commanding  as  when  the  pious  translators  first  uttered  them  :  — 

"Things  of  this  quality  have  ever  been  subject  to  the  censures  of  illmeaning  45 
and  discontented  persons.  For  was  there  ever  any  thing  projected,  that  savored 
any  way  of  newness  or  renewing,  but  the  same  endured  many  a  storm  of  gain- 
saying or  opposition?  In  some  Commonweals  it  was  made  a  capital  crime,  once 
to  motion  the  making  of  a  new  law  for  the  abrogating  of  an  old,  though  the 
same  were  most  pernicious.  As  oft  as  we  do  any  thing  of  note  or  consequence,  50 
we  subject  ourselves  to  every  one's  censure.  So  hard  a  thing  is  it  to  please  all, 
even  when  we  please  God  best,  and  do  seek  to  approve  ourselves  to  every  one's 


X  — ^^ii-^t*Sis•  3»<'robucforj  (Jlcmarfta  ^BS^*« — 

conscience.  Whosoever  attempteth  any  thins  for  the  public  (specially  if  it 
pertain  to  religion,  and  to  the  opening  and  clearing  of  the  word  of  God)  the 
same  setteth  himself  upon  a  stage  to  be  glouted  upon  by  every  evil  eye ;  yea, 
he  casteth  himself  headlong  upon  pikes,  to  be  gored  by  every  sharp  tongue. 
5  For  he  that  nieddleth  with  men's  religion  in  any  part  meddleth  with  their  cus- 
tom, nay,  with  their  freehold  ;  and  though  they  find  no  content  in  that  which 
they  have,  yet  they  cannot  abide  to  hear  of  altering. 

But  now  what  piety  without  truth  ?     What  truth,  what  saving  truth,  without 
the  word  of  God?     What   word  of  God,  whereof  we  may  be  sure,  without  the 

lo  Scripture  ?  The  Scriptures  we  are  commanded  to  search,  John  S ,  39  ;  Esa.  8 ,  20. 
The  Scripture  is  not  only  an  armor,  but  also  a  whole  armory  of  weapons,  both 
offensive  and  defensive  ;  it  is  a  fountain  of  most  ]iure  water  springing  up  unto 
everlasting  life.  Happy  is  the  man  that  delighteth  in  the  Scripture,  and  thrice 
hajipy  that  meditateth  in  it  day  and  night.' 

15  But   how   shall    men  meditate  in  that  which  they  cannot  understand?     How 

shall  they  understand  that  which  is  kept  close  in  an  unknown  tongue?  Trans- 
lation it  is  that  openeth  the  window,  to  let  in  the  light ;  that  breaketh  the  shell, 
tliat  we  may  eat  the  kernel ;  that  putteth  aside  the  curtain,  that  we  may  look 
into   tlie   most   holy   place ;    that  removeth   the  cover  of   the  well,   that  we  may 

20  come  by  the  water.  Indeed  without  translation  into  the  vulgar  tongue,  the 
unlearned  are  but  like  children  at  Jacob's  well  (which  was  deep)^  without  a 
bucket  or  something  to  draw  with  ;  or  as  that  person  mentioned  by  Esay,''  to 
whom  when  a  sealed  book  was  delivered  with  this  motion  :  Read  this,  I  pray 
thee,  he  was  fain  to  make  this  answer :    /  cannot,  for  it  is  scaled. 

25  The  godly  learned  were   not  content   to  have  the  Scriptures  in  the  language 

which  theinselves  understood,  but  also  for  the  behoof  and  edifying  of  the 
unlearned,  which  hungered  and  thirsted  after  righteousness,''  and  had  souls  to 
be  saved  as  well  as  they,  they  provided  translations  into  the  vulgar  for  their 
countrymen.      So    that   to   have  the  Scriptures   in  the  mother  tongue   is   not  a 

30  quaint  conceit  lately  taken  up,  but  has  been  thought  upon,  and  put  in  practice 
of  old,  even  from  the  first  times  of  the  conversion  of  any  nation  ;  no  doubt 
because  it  was  esteemed  most  profitable  to  cause  faith  to  grow  in  men's  hearts 
the  sooner,  and  to  make  them  to  be  able  to  say  with  the  words  of  the  Psalm  :' 
As  we  have  heard,  so  we  have  seen. 

35  Many    men's    mouths    have    been    open    a    good    w-hile    (and    yet    are    not 

stopped)  with  speeches  about  the  translation  so  long  in  hand,  and  ask  what 
may  be  the  reason,  what  the  necessity,  of  the  einployment.  Hath  the  Church 
been  deceived,  say  they,  all  this  while?  We  hoped  that  we  had  been  in  the 
right  way,   that  we  had   had  the  Oracles  of  God  delivered   unto   us,   and  that 

40  thou.gh  all  the  world  had  cause  to  be  offended,  and  to  complain,  yet  that  we 
had  none.  Hath  the  nurse  holden  out  the  breast,  and  notliing  but  wind  in  it? 
Was  their  translation  good  before.  Why  do  they  now  mend  it?  Was  it  not 
good.  Why  then  was  it  obtruded  to  the  people  ?  We  will  answer  them  briefly 
with   St.    Hierome :    Do   -tve   condemn    the   ancient?    In   no   case ;    but  after  the 

45  endeavors  of  them  that  tuere  before  us,  tve  take  the  best  fiains  we  can  in  the 
house  of  God.  Blessed  be  they,  and  most  honored  be  their  name,  that  break 
the  ice,  and  give  the  onset  upon  that  which  helpeth  forward  to  the  saving  of 
souls  ! 

Now  what  can  be  more  available  thereto,  than  to  deliver   God's  book    unto 

50  God's  people  in  a  tongue  which  they  understand?  Since  of  an  hidden  treasure, 
and  of  a  fountain  that   is   sealed,   there   is   no   profit.      As   St.  Augustine  saith  : 


■»^^— 


"Psalm  1,2.         "John  4,11.        >  Isaiah  29  ,  11  .  12.        '  .Mattli.  5  ,  6.        ■  Psahii  48  ,  8. 


S>  3ntrobucforj>  (Rcmarfts  -sBJgeM-s —  xi 

A  man  had  rather  be  with  his  dog  than  with  a  stratiger  (whose  tongue  is 
strange  to  him).  If  we,  building  upon  their  foundation  that  went  before  us, 
and  being  holpen  by  their  labors,  do  endeavor  to  make  that  better  which  they 
left  so  good,  no  man,  we  are  sure,  hath  cause  to  mislike  us  ;  they,  we  persuade 
ourselves,  if  they  were  alive,  would  thank  us.  How  many  books  of  profane  5 
learning  have  been  gone  over  again  and  again,  by  the  same  translators,  by 
others  ?  Let  us  bless  God  from  the  ground  of  our  heart  for  working  this 
religious  care  to  have  the  translations  of  the  Bible  maturely  considered  of  and 
examined.  We  do  not  deny  that  the  very  meanest  translation  of  the  Bible  in 
English  containeth  the  word  of  God.  But  to  whom  ever  was  it  imputed  for  a  10 
fault  (by  such  as  were  wise)  to  go  over  that  which  he  had  done,  and  to  amend 
it  where  he  saw  cause?  If  we  will  be  sons  of  the  truth,  we  must  consider  what 
it  speaketh,  and  trample  upon  our  own  credit,  yea,  and  upon  other  men's  too, 
if  either  be  any  way  an  hindrance  to  it. 

To  that  purpose  there  were  many  chosen,  that  were  greater  in  other  men's  15 
eyes  than  in  their  own,  and  that  sought  the  truth  rather  than  their  own  praise. 
And  in  what  sort  did  these  assemble  ?  In  the  trust  of  their  own  knowledge, 
or  of  their  sharpness  of  wit,  or  deepness  of  judgment,  as  it  were  in  an  arm  of 
flesh  ?  At  no  hand.  They  trusted  in  Him  that  hath  the  key  of  David,  opening, 
and  no  man  shutting."  In  this  confidence,  and  with  this  devotion,  did  they  20 
assemble  together  ;  not  too  many,  lest  one  should  trouble  another ;  and  yet 
many,  lest  many  things  haply  might  escape  them.  If  you  ask  what  they  had 
before  them,  truly  it  was  the  Hebrew  text  of  the  Old  Testament,  the  Greek  of 
the  New.  These  are  the  two  golden  pipes,  or  rather  conduits,  wherethrough 
the  olive  branches  empty  themselves  into  the  gold."  25 

Matters  of  such  weight  and  consequence  are  to  be  speeded  with  maturity; 
for  in  a  business  of  moment  a  man  feareth  not  the  blame  of  convenient  slack- 
ness. Neither  did  we  think  much  to  consult  the  translators  or  commentators, 
Cha/dee,  Hebrew,  Syrian,  Greek,  or  Latin ;  neither  did  we  disdain  to  revise 
that  which  we  had  done,  and  to  bring  back  to  the  anvil  that  which  we  had  30 
hammered ;  but  having  and  using  as  great  helps  as  were  needful,  and  fearing 
no  reproach  for  slowness,  nor  coveting  praise  for  expedition,  we  have  at  length, 
through  the  good  hand  of  the  Lord  upon  us,'  brought  the  work  to  that  pass 
that   you   see. 

Some  peradventure  would  have  no  variety  of  senses  to  be  set  in  the  margin,  35 
lest  the  authority  of  the  Scriptures  for  deciding  of  controversies  by  that  show  of 
uncertainty  should  somewhat  be  shaken.     But  we  hold  their  judgment  not  to  be 
so  sound  in  this  point.     There  be  many  words  in  the  Scriptures,  which  be  never 
found    there   but   once   (having   neither    brother   nor   neighbor,  as    the    Hebrews 
speak)    so   that    we   cannot   be  holpen   by  conference   of  places.      Again,  there  40 
be  many  rare  names  of  certain  birds,  beasts,  and  precious  stones,  &c.,  concern- 
ing which  the  Hebrezus  themselves  are    so   divided   among   themseKes  for  judg- 
ment, that   they   may   seem   to   have   defined    this   or   that,  rather   because    they 
would   say   something,  than   because   they   were   sure   of   that   which    they   said. 
Now  in  such  a   case,  doth   not   a   margin   do   well   to    admonish   the    Reader    to  45 
seek  further,  and   not  to  conclude  or  dogmatize  upon  this  or  that  peremptorily? 
For  as  it  is  a  fault  of  incredulity,  to  doubt  of  those  things  that  are   evident ;   so 
to  determine  of  such  things  as  the  Spirit  of  God  hath  left  (even  in  the  judgment 
of  the  judicious)  questionable,  can   be   no   less   than   presumption.     Diversity  of 
signification  and  sense  in  the  margin,  where  the  text  is  not  so  clear,  must  needs  50 
do  good ;   yea,  is  necessary,  as  we  are  persuaded. 


'Rev.  3,7.  «Zech.  4,12.  '  Ezra  7  ,  9  ;  Neh.  2,  i 


XII  — »*e|«5*-  3n'ro5iucforj  (RcmarRa  *;®»feM-s — 

Another  thing  we  think  good  to  admonish  thee  of,  gentle  Reader,  that  we 
have  not  tied  ourselves  to  an  nniformity  of  phrasing,  or  to  an  identity  of  words, 
as  some  peradventure  would  wish  that  we  liad  done,  because  they  observe,  that 
some  learned  men  somewhere  have  been  as  exact  as  they  could  that  way. 
5  Truly,  that  we  might  not  vary  from  the  sense  of  that  w-hich  we  had  translated 
before,  if  the  word  signified  the  same  thing  in  both  places  (for  there  be  some 
words  that  be  not  of  the  same  sense  every  where)  w-e  were  especially  careful, 
and  made  a  conscience,  according  to  our  duty.  But  that  we  should  express  the 
.same  notion  in  the  same   particular  word ;    as   for   example,    if  we   translate   the 

ID  Hebrew  or  Greek  word  once  bv  purpose,  never  to  call  it  intent;  if  one  where 
journeyitii;.  never  traveling \  if  one  where  think,  never  suppose;  if  one  where 
pain,  never  aehe;  if  one  where  joy,  never  gladness,  &c.,  thus  to  mince  the 
matter,  we  thought  to  savor  more  of  curiosity  than  wisdom,  and  that  rather  it 
would  breed  scorn  in  the  atheist,  than  bring  profit  to  the  godly  reader.     For  is 

15  the  kingdom  of  God  become  words  or  syllables?  Why  should  we  be  in  bond- 
age to  them,  if  we  may  be  free?  Use  one  precisely,  when  we  may  use  another 
no  less  fit  as  commodiously  ? 

A  godly  Father"  in  the  primitive  time  reporteth  that  he  was  much  abused 
for    turning    ciictirbita'^     (to    which    reading    the    people    had    been    used)    into 

20  /ledera.'  Now  if  this  happen  in  better  times,  and  upon  so  small  occasions, 
we  might  justly  fear  hard  censure,  if  generally  we  should  make  verbal  and 
unnecessary  changings. 

We  might  also  be  charged  (by  scoffers)  with  some  unequal  dealing  towards 
a  great  number  of  good   English    words.     If  we    should    say,  as   it    were,  unto 

25  certain  words :  Stand  up  higher,  have  a  place  in  the  Bible  always  ;  and  to  others 
of  like  quality:  Get  you  hence,  be  banished  for  ever;  we  might  be  taxed  per- 
adventure with  St.  James's  words,  namely.  To  be  partial  in  ourselves,  and 
judges  of  evil  thoughts.' 

Lastly,  we  have   on  the  one  side   avoided   the  scrupulosity  of  the  Puritanes, 

30  who  leave  the  old  Ecclesiastical  words,  and  betake  them  to  other,  as  when 
they  put  washing  for  baptism,  and  congregation  instead  of  Church ;  as  also  on 
the  other  side  we  have  shunned  the  obscurity  of  the  Papists,  in  their  azymes, 
tunike,  rational,  holocausts,  pnepuce,  pasche,  and  a  number  of  such  like.  We 
desire   that    the    Scripture    may  speak  like  itself,  as  in  the  language  of  Canaan, 

35  that  it  may  be  understood  even  of  the  very  vulgar. 

Many  other  things  we  might  give  thee  warning  of,  gentle  Reader,  if  we 
had  not  exceeded  the  measure  of  a  preface  already.  It  remaineth  tliat  we 
commend  thee  to  God,  and  to  the  Spirit  of  His  .grace,  which  is  able  to  build 
further  than  we  can  ask  or  tliink.     He  removeth  the  scales  from  our  eyes,   the 

40  veil  from  our  hearts,  opening  our  wits  tliat  we  may  understand  His  word, 
enlarging  our  hearts,  yea,  correcting  our  affections,  that  we  may  love  it  above 
gold  and  silver,  yea,  that  we  may  love  it  to  the  end.  Ye  are  brought  unto 
fountains  of  living  water  which  ye  digged  not ;  do  not  cast  earth  into  them, 
neither  prefer  broken   pits   before   them.      Others   have   labored,    and   you    may 

45  enter  into  their  labors.  O  receive  not  so  great  things  in  vain.  Be  not  like 
swine  to  tread  under  foot  so  precious  things,  neither  yet  like  dogs  to  tear  and 
abuse  holy  tilings.  If  light  be  come  into  the  world,  love  not  darkness  more 
than  light ;  if  food,  if  clothing  be  offered,  go  not  naked,  starve  not  yourselves. 
Remember  the   advice,   //  is   a  grievous  thing  to   neglect  a  great  fair,  and  to 

50  seek  to  make  markets  afterwards.     Amen." 


"St.  Jerome  (about  400  A.  D.).  *gourd  (Jonah  4  ,6).  'ivy.  ''J;is.  2,4. 


Jubgee 


£onciuc0f6  of  t^c  ^6tadxtc  ^rtfiee 
*"^  •  in  Canaan. 


)FT£J?    the    death    of  Joshjia^    the    Israelites    inquired  i,i 
of  JuvH:     Who    of    US    shall    first    go    up    to    make 
war    on    the    Canaanites?^     Jhvh     answered:     Judah  2 
I*  shall    go ;     I    will    gi\e    the    land    into    their    power. 
The     tribe     of    Judah     said     to     their     kinsmen    of  3 
Simeon  :3    Go   with    us    into   the   territory  allotted   to 
■v    us,  that    we   may   make  war  on   the   Canaanites,   and 
I     then   we   will  go  with  you   into   your    territory^'•     So 
•*•  the    Simeonites    went    with    them.      Then    the    tribe  4 

of  Judah    invaded    the    country,   and    Jhvh    delivered   the    Canaanites 
and    Perizzites   into   their   power,   and   they    defeated    them   at   Bezek, 
and    killed    ten    thousand  men.     And  the\'  came   upon  Adoni-bezeks  5 
15  at    Bezek,*  and    fought    with    him,  and    defeated    the    Canaanites  and 
Perizzites.'     Adoni-bezek    fled,   but   they  pursued  and  took  him,  and  6 
chopped    off  his    thumbs    and     his     great    toes.       And    Adoni-bezek  7 
said  :     Se\enty    kings,    with    their    thumbs    and    great    toes     chopped 
off,   used    to    pick    up    scraps    under    my    table ;    according    to    my 
20  own    deeds    God    has     requited     me !      And    they    brought     him    to 
Jerusalem,  and   there    he   died.^     Then   the    Judahites   attacked  Jeru-  S 
salerri,    and    took     it,     putting     its    inhabitants    to    the    sword,     and 
destroying    the    city    by    fire.' 

After    this    the    Judahites    went    down    to    wage    war    on    the  9 
25  Canaanites    who    inhabited    the    Mountaias,  and    the   Negeb,  and  the 


l,IO-27  — »*^^»- ^''^S*^^  •*?**»<***^  2 

1,10  Lowlands.'"     And  Jitdali   went   against    the    Canaanites    who    inhab- 
ited   Hebron    (the    older    name    of    Hebron    was    Kirjath-arba),    and 

11  slew  Sheshai,  Ahinian,  and  Talmai."  Thence  they  went  .up. 
against    the    inhabitants    of    Debir    (the    older    name    of    Debir    was 

12  Kirjath-sepher)."    And  Caleb  said  :   I  will  give  my  daughter  Achsah  5 
in   marriage    to    the    man    who   attacks    Kirjath-sepher    and    takes    it. 

13  Caleb's  younger   brother, '3  Othniel    ben-Kenaz,    took    it ;   and    Caleb 

14  gave  him  his  daughter  Achsah  in  marriage.  When  she  came  to 
him,  <he>  incited  <her>  to  ask  her  father  for  -a-  piece  of  land.  So 
she   leaped   down   from  her   ass,  and   when    her  father   asked  :    What  10 

15  is  the  matter?  she  answered:  Give  me  a  present ;  thou  hast  put 
me  off  into  the  Negeb;  therefore  give  me  <Gullath>-maim.  So 
Caleb  gave  her  tGullath>-illith  and  ^Gullathj-tahtith.'** 

16  0  <Hobab  the-  Kenite,  Moses'  father-in-law,  accompanied  the 
Judahites    from    the    Palm    City    to  the    wilderness    of "[]   Arad  <["]>,  15 

17  and  went  and  lived  with  the  -Amalekites-.'^  Then  the  tribe  of 
Judah  went  with  their  kinsmen  of  Simeon,  and  they  defeated  the 
Canaanites    who    inhabited    Zephath,  and    devoted    it   to    destruction ; 

18  hence  the   city  was   named    Hormah.'^     And    Judah   took    Gaza,  and 

19  Ashkelon,  and   Ekron,  with  the  districts  belonging  to  them.''     Jhvh  20 
was    with    Judah,   and  the    tribe    conquered    the    Highlands,   but    was 
not  <able>  to    dispossess    the    inhabitants    of    the    Plain,    because    the 

20  latter   had    iron    chariots.'^     Hebron    was   given    to   Caleb,   as    Moses 

21  had    bidden,    and    Caleb    drove    therefrom    the    three    giants. 's      But 
the  Benjamites  did  not  dispossess  the  Jebusites  who  inhabited  Jeru-  25 
salem  ;    the  Jebusites  live  with  the   Benjamites   in   Jerusalem   to   the 
present  day.^° 

22  The  tribes  of  the   House   of  Joseph,^'  also,   went   up  to  Beth-el, 

23  and  Jhvh   was   with  them.      As   they  were  reconnoitering   at   Beth-el 

24  (the    earlier    name    of  the    city    was    Luz)^^    their   scouts   saw   a  man  30 
coming    out    of   the    city,   and    said    to    him  :     Show    us    the    way    to 

25  enter  the  city,  and  we  will  treat  thee  well.  Thereupon  he  showed 
them  the  way  to  enter  the  city;  and  they  put  the  people  of  the 
city    to    the    sword,    but    that    man    and    all    his    kin    they    let    go ; 

26  and     he    went    to    the    country    of    the    Hittites,    and    built    a    town  35 

27  whicii  he  called  Luz,  a  name  it  bears  to  this  day. ^3  Manasseh 
did  not  conquer  Beth-shean  with  the  villages  belonging  thereto,  nor 
Taanach   and   its  villages,  nor  the  inhabitants   of  Dor,  nor  of  Ibleam, 

1,16  -which   is   in   the   Negeb 


•  3w*3'*  ■*®*^'^*''^  1,28-2,5 

nor  of  Megiddo,  with  their  villages;^''   for  the  Canaanites  maintained  i 
themselves     resolutely    in    that    region.       But    when     Israel    became  28 
strong,  they   subjected   the  Canaanites   to  forced  labor,'''  but  did  not 
dispossess    them.      Nor    did    Ephraim    dispossess   the    Canaanites  who  29 
5  inhabited  Gezer,  but  the   Canaanites   remained   in   Gezer  in  the  midst 
of  them.^** 

Neither    did    Zebulun    dispossess    the    inhabitants   of   Kitron    and  30 
Nahalol;^'    the    Canaanites    dwelt    in    the    midst    of  them,    but    had 
to    labor    for    them.^^     Asher    did    not    di.spossess   the    inhabitants    of  31 

10  Accho   and    Sidon,    nor    of   Ahlab,    nor    of  Achzib,    nor    of   Helbah, 
nor    of  Aphik,  nor    of    Rehob  ■,'"^    the    Asherites    settled    among    the  32 
Canaanite    population    of  the    region,   they   did   not    dispossess    them. 
Nor    did   Naphtali    dispossess    the    inhabitants    of    Beth-shemesh,    nor  33 
of   Beth-anath ;    they  dwelt  among    the    Canaanite   inhabitants   of  the 

15  region,  but  the   inhabitants  of  Beth-shemesh  and  of   Beth-anath  had 
to  labor  for  them. 3° 

The  Amorites  crowded  the  Danites  into  the  hill-country,  and  34 
did  not  allow  them  to  descend  to  the  plain  ;  and  the  Amorites  35 
maintained    themselves     resolutely    in     Har-heres,    and    Aijalon,    and 

20  Shaalbim.3'      But    when    the    tribes    of  Joseph    grew    more    powerful, 
the  Amorites  had  to  labor  <for  them>. 

And  the  boundary  of  the  tEdomites>  ran  from  the  Akrabbim  36 
Pass  tto)   Sela  and  onward. 3^ 

And  the  Messenger  of  Jhvh  went  up  from  Gilgal  to  <Beth-eb,33  2,1 
25  and  said:3't     *     *     *     cand)  I  led  you  up  from    Egypt,  and  brought 
you    into    the    land  which   I  swore  to   your   forefathers  that   I   would 
give  you ;  and    I   said  :    I   will    never   break   my   covenant   with   you ;  2 
and   ye,    on  your  part,    shall   make   no   terms  with  the  inhabitants  of 
this    land  ;    their    altars    ye    shall    pull    down. 35       But    ye    have    not 
30  heeded   my   words  ;    what  is   this  that   ye    have    done  ?     And    I    also  3 
said :    I    will    not    expel    them    before    you ;    they  shall    be  <enemies> 
to    you,    and    their    gods    shall    be    a    snare    to    you. 3*      When    the  4 
Messenger    of  Jhvh    uttered    these    words    to    all    the    Israelites    the 
people  broke  out  into   loud  weeping;   *hence+  the  place   received   the  5 
35  name  Bochim.s?     And   they   offered   sacrifice  there  to  Jhvh. 


Y 


2,6-19  — ^~H!^ii&- ^ui^ie -^fm^ia**— 


3ntro5uctton. 

(2.6-3,6) 

2,6  'nr^HEN    Joshua    dismissed    the    people,    and    the    Israelites    went 

7  1      to    their    several    allotments    to    possess    the     land.'     And     the  5 
people    served    Jhvh    all    the    days    of  Joshua,    and    of   the    Elders 
who    outlived    Joshua    and    had    seen    all    the    great    work    which 

8  JnvH    had   wrought   for    Israel.^     And   Joshua   ben-Nun,   //w  Scrz'ant 

9  of  Jhi'H,  died  at  the  age  of  a  hundred  and  ten  years  ;  and  the)- 
buried    him    within    the    bounds    of   his    estate,    at    Timnath-heres    in  10 

10  the     Highlands    of    Ephraim,    north    of    Mount    Gaash.s     And    that 
whole    generation    were   gathered    to    their    fathers,''    and    there    suc- 
ceeded another   generation,  who   did   not   know   Jhvh,   nor   the   work 
which    He  had  wrought  for   Israel. 
1. 12  Then  the   Israelites  offended  Jhvh,'  and  served  tlie  Baals,   and  15 

forsook  their  fathers'  God,  Jhvh,  who  had  brought  them  up  from 
Egypt,  and  followed  other  gods,  from  among  the  gods  of  the 
nations    about    them,    and    worshiped    them,    and    exasperated    Jhvh. 

13  And  they  forsook  Jhvh,  and  tburnt  sacrifices)  to  Baal  and  Astarteo.* 

14  And   Jhvh    was  incensed  against  Israel,  and   delivered  them  to  20 
spoilers   who  despoiled   them  ;    and  He  sold  them   into  the  power  of 
their    enemies    on    all    sides,'  so    that    they    were    no    longer    able   to 

15  withstand  their  foes.  Whenever  they  went  to  war,  the  hand  of 
Jhvh  was  against  them  to  their  hurt,  as  Jhvh  had  foretold  and 
had    sworn    to    them    that    it    should    be  -^    and    they    were    in    great  25 

16  straits.       And    Jhvh    raised    up    Judges,  and    delivered    the    Israelites 

17  from  those  who  despoiled  them  ;9  yet  they  would  not  obey  even 
their  Judges,  but  went  astray  after  other  gods,  and  worshiped 
them;'°  they  soon  turned  aside  from  the  way  in  which  their 
fathers    had    gone,   who   had   obeyed   the   commandments   of  Jhvh, —  30 

18  they  did  not  follow  their  fathers'  example.  And  when  Jhvh  raised 
them  up  Judges  He  would  be  with  the  Judge,  and  deliver  them 
from  their  enemies  as  long  as  the  Judge  li\ed ;  for  Jhvh  was 
moved    to    pity    by    their    groans    under    those    who    oppressed    them 

19  and    tyrannized   over   them.      But    when   the   Judge   died    they   would  35 
felide   back,  and    act   worse   than    their   fathers,  in   running  after  other 


5  ^->4«tssSs- 3"*3'*  ■*®*^**''* —  a, 20 -3,  II 

gods,    in    serving    and    in    worshiping    them;    they    did    not    abandon  2 
any  of  their  practices  nor  their  obstinate  ways."  ■ 

And    Jhvh    was  incensed  against  Israel,  and  said  :    Inasmuch  as  20 
this   people   have  transgressed  the  injunction  which   I   laid   upon  their 
5  fathers,  and    have    not   heeded   what   I    said,   I,   on   my   part,   will  not  21 
drive  out  for    them    another    one    of  the    peoples    which    Joshua    left 
when    he    died ;" — in    order    to    try  Israel    by    these    peoples,   to    see  22 
whether  or  not  the   Israelites  would   keep  the  waycs>  of  Jhvh,  walk- 
ing in  them  as  their  fathers  kept  them.      So   Jhvh  left  these   peoples,  23 
10  not    dispossessing    them    at  once,  and   did   not  give    them    into  the 
power  of  Joshua. ^^ 

These  are  the  peoples   which   Jhvh    left  whereby  to   try   Israel  3,1 
{namely,  all  those  Israelites  zvho  had  no  experience  of  all  the  wars 
of  Canaan),^'*  solely  for  the  sake  of  <>  the  successive  generations  of  2 

15  Israelites,    to    teach    war    to    them  "=    [only    to    those    who  previously 
had   no    experience    thereof) -.'"■    the    five    princes    of   the    Philistines,  3 
and     all     the     Canaanites,    and    the     Phoenicians,    and    the     Hi<ttites 
inhabiting    the     Mountains     of    Lebanon    from     Mount    Baal-hermon| 
to  the  Gateway  of  Hamath.'*     They  served  whereby  to  try  Israel,  to  4 

20  know  whether   Israel  would  heed  the  commandments  of  Jhvh   which 
He    gave    their    fathers    by    Moses.     So    the    Israelites    dwelt    in    the  5 
midst    of  the    Canaanites,    Hittites,    Amorites,    Perizzites,    Hivites,  \ 
and  febusites ;    and    took    their    daughters     as    wives,    and    married  6 
their  own  daughters  to  their  sons,  and  served  their  gods.'' 

Ot^ntcf  icftpcra  38«'<*^f  f'^om  i^i  ^prtane. 

THE  Israelites  offended   Jhvh,  and  forgot    their   God,  Jhvh,   and  7 
served    the     Baals    and    Asherahs.'     And    Jhvh    was    incensed  8 
against   Israel,  and  sold   them   into   the   power  of  Cushan-rishathaim, 
King  of  Syria  on  the  Euphrates  ; ''  and  they  were  subject  to  Cushan- 

30  rishathaim  eight  years.     Then  the  Israelites  cried   for   help  to  Jhvh,  9 
and    Jhvh    raised    up    a    deliverer    for    the    Israelites,    who    delivered 
them,  namely,    Othniel    ben-Kenaz,    Caleb's    younger    brother.       For  10 
the   spirit   of  Jhvh   came   upon    him,  and   he   vindicated   Israel  ;3    and 
he    went    out    to   war,    and    Jhvh    delivered   Cushan-rishathaim,   King 

35  of   Syria,    into    his    power ;     and    his    might    prevailed    o\-er    Cushan- 
rishathaim.      So  the  land  enjoyed  securit}-  for  forty  years.'' 


3,12-28  — '■^■m^isf- ^ui^iB  •nimsi*''—  6 

(E^ub  fttffo  Ggfen,  Ani  frees  ^^raef  from  f$e  (jUoafittea. 

12  /\ND  when  Othniel  ben-Kenaz  died  the  Israelites  again  offended 
l\  Jhvh,    and    Jhvh    enabled    Eglon,    King    of   Moab,    to    prevail 

3  over  Israel,  because  they  had  offended  Jhvh.  He  added  to  his 
own  forces  the   Ammonites  and  Amalekites,"  and   went   and  defeated  5 

4  Israel,  and  <»  occupied  the  Palm   Citj'.-      The  Israelites   were   subject 

5  to  Eglon,  King  of  Moab,  eighteen  years.  Then  the  Israelites  cried 
to  Jhvh  for  help,  and  Jhvh  raised  them  up  a  deliverer  in  Ehud 
ben-Gera,  a  Benjamite  man  who  had  not  the  use  of  his  right 
hand. 3      Now    the    Israelites    sent    by    him    their    tribute    to    Eglon,  10 

16  King    of   Moab;    and    Ehud    made    him   a   two-edged    dagger,    more 

tlian    a    foot    long,   wliich   he   hung    under   his  garments  on  his  right 

jy  thigh.''      He    presented    the     tribute    to    Eglon,     King    of    Moab  []; 

18  and    when    Ehud    had    finished    the    presentation    of    the    tribute    he 

19  sent    away   the  men   who    had   carried   the  tribute ; '    but    he    him.self  15 
turned  back  at  the  sculptured  stones  near  Gilgal,*  and  said  :    I   have 

a  private  communication   for    thee,    O   King.'     Then  the   King    com- 
manded :    Silence  !    and    all   those  who   stood   in   his  presence  retired. 

20  And  Ehud  went  in  to  him  as  he  was  sitting  alone  in  his  airy  upper 
story.'     And    Ehud   said:    I   have  a  divine  communication   for  thee;'  20 

21  and  as  the  King  rose  from  his  chair,  Ehud  reached  round  with 
his     left    hand,    and    took    the    dagger    from     his    right    thigh,    and 

22  plunged  it  into  the  King's  belly,  so  that  the  hilt  went  in  after  the 
blade,    and    the    fat    closed     upon    the    blade   <["]>;    for    he    did    not 

23  draw   the   dagger  out   of  the   belly.'"  <=    And    Ehud  went  out   to   the  25 

,"    and     closed     the     doors     of    the     upper     story     on     the 

24  King.**  After  he  was  gone  out,  the  King's  servants  came  and 
looked,  and  finding  the  doors  of  the  upper  story  locked  they  said  : 
He    must    be    relieving    himself  in    the    private   chamber   of  the  cool 

25  stor>^      So  they  waited  till  they  perceived  that   they  were  mistaken  ;  30 
and    as    he    did    not    open    the   doors   of  the   upper  story  they  took 
the  key  and  opened  them  ■"  and    there  was  their   lord   lying   on  the 

26  ground,   dead.      But  Ehud  made  his  escape  while  they  were  waiting, 

27  and  having  passed  the  sculptured  stones  escaped  to  Seirah.'^    When 
he  reached    that    place,   he    sounded   the  alarm    in    the   Highlands   of  35 
Ephraim,    and    the    Israelites    came    down    from    the    Highlands    with 

28  him    at    their    head.       For    he    said:    Follow    me  <down> ;    Jhvh    has 


3,17  "Eglon  was  n  ver>-  fat  man  24  *and  locked  them 


7  — »»*-^«3!- 3"*5'*  ■***^^**°*~~  3.29-4,11 

delivered    your    enemies,    the    Moabites,    into    your    power.     So   they  3 
followed  him  down,  and  seized  the   fords    of  the    Jordan    to    cut   off 
the    Moabites,    and    suffered    not    a    man    to    cross.'''      At    that    time  29 
they  slew  of  the   Moabites  about  ten  thousand,  all   stout  and   valiant 
5  men  ;     not    one    escaped.      Thus    Moab    was   subdued   that    day,   and  30 
brought    under    the   power    of   Israel ;   and  the  land  enjoyed  security 
for  eight)'  )-ears. 

^Baingar  inaftea  a  efaugBtcr  among  t^i  (p^tftattnee. 

AFTER    him    came   Shamgar   ben-Anath,   who    killed   six  hundred  31 
^    Philistines  with  an  ox-croad.      He  also   delivered   Israel.' 


®c6ora6  anl  (^araft  free  ^evAii  from  tSti  Canaamfee. 

THE    Israelites    again    offended    Jhvh     when     Ehud    was    dead;  4.1 
and    Jhvh    sold    them    into    the    power   of  Jabin,    the    King   of  2 
Canaan,    who     reigned    in    Hazor,'    and    had    as    his    general    Sisera, 

15  who    lived    at    Harosheth    ha-Go\im.'     And    the    Israelites    cried    for  3 
help    to    Jhvh  ;     for    Jabin    had    nine    hundred    iron     chariots, 3    and 
oppressed  the  Israelites  cruelly  for  twenty  years.     Now  a  prophetess,  4 
Deborah,    the    wife    of   Lapidoth,   was   judging    Israel    at    that    time,'' 
a;id  was  wont  to  sit  under  Deborah's  Palm,  betiveen  RantaJi  and  5 

20  Beth-el   in    the    Highlands    of  Ephraim,^    zvhither    the   Israelites 
resorted  to  her  for  justice.     She    sent   and    summoned    Barak    ben-  6 
Abinoam  from   Kedesh  in   Naphtali  ;*  and  she  said  to  him  :   Does  not 
Jhvh,  the  God  of  Israel,  command  thee  ?    Go,  move  on  Mount  Tabor,^ 
and  take  with  thee  ten  thousand  men   of  the  tribes  of  Naphtali  and 

25  Zebulun.     And   I   will   draw  to  thee,   to  the   Kishon  Valley,^  fabins  7 
general,  Sisera,  with  his   chariots  and  his  troops,   and   give   him  into 
th\-    power.      Barak    replied :    If  thou    wilt    go   with    me,   I    will    go ;  S 
but    if  thou    wilt    not    go    with    me,   I    will    not   go.      She   answered :  9 
I    will    certainly    go    with    thee ;     howbeit    thou    wilt    not    gain    the 

30  honors   of  this   enterprise   on   which   thou   art   setting   out ;    for  Jhvh 
will    sell   Sisera   into   the   power  of  a   woman.'     Thereupon   Deborah 
set    out,  and    accompanied    B:irak    to    Kedesh.     Then    Barak    called  10 
out     Zebulun    and     Naphtali     to    Kedesh,     and    ten    thousand    men 
marched   at  his   back;    Deborah   also    went   with    him.      Now   Heber,  11 


4 ,  12-5.2  ^«*«=^Mas-  ^uiQie  ^ss^a**—  8 

4  the  Kenite,  had  separated  from  Kaiii  (J'rom  the  sons  of  Hobab, 
Moses  fathcr-in-laiv),    and     pitched     his    tent    as    far    away    as    the 

12  Bazaanim    Tree    near    Kedesh.'°      When    Sisera    was    informed    that 

13  Barak  ben-Abinoam  had  marched  to  Mount  Tabor,  he  summoned 
all    his    chariots,   nine    hundred   iron    chariots,  and   all    the   men   that  5 

14  he  had,  from  Harosheth  ha-Goyim  to  the  Kishon  Valley."  Then 
Dcb'jrah  said  to  Barak  :  Arise  !  this  is  the  day  whereon  Jhvh  has 
given  Sisera  into  thy  power ;  does  not  Jhvh  go  out  to  battle  at 
your    head?     So   Barak   descended   Mount  Tabor   with   ten   thousand 

15  men    at    his    back.       Then  Jhvh    threw  Sisera    and    all    his   troop   of  10 
chariots  and  all  his  host  into  dismay  o  at  Barak's  approach."     Sisera 

16  dismounted  from  his  chariot  and  fled  on  foot.  Barak  pursued  the 
chariots  and  the  rest  of  the  host  all  the  way  to  Harosheth  ha- 
Goyim  ;    and    all    Sisera's    host    were    slain    without    quarter,    not    a 

17  single    one    was    left.      But  Sisera    himself   fled    on    foot    to    the   tent  15 
of  Jacl,  the    wife   of  Heber,  the    Kenite;"'  for  there  zvere  friendly 
relations  between  Jabin,  King  of  Hasor,  and  the  family  of  Heber, 

18  the  Kenite.  And  Jael  went  out  to  meet  Sisera,  and  said  to  him  : 
Walk   in,   my    lord,  walk  into    my   tent,  fear   not.      So    he   went  into 

19  her  tent,   and  she   covered   him  with  a  stent  curtain?.'"*    And  he  said  20 
to    her :     Give    me    a    little   water    to    drink,    I    am   thirsty.      So    she 
opened    the    milk-skin,  and   gave   him  a   draught, 's  and  covered  him 

20  -again*.  Then  he  bade  her  :  Stand  at  the  entrance  of  the  tent ;  and 
if  anyone   come   and   inquire    of  thee  :    Is   there   anyone    here  ?    say : 

21  No.     Then  Jael,   Heber's  wife,  took  a  tent  pin  and,  taking  a  mallet  25 
in  her  hand,  stealthily   slipped    in    to    him,    and    drove   the    pin    into 
his  temple,  so  that  it  went  through   into  the   ground  ;'^  for   he    was 

22  sound    asleep    and   iwearied    out) ;    so    he    died.       At    that    moment 
Barak   came  up  in    pursuit    of  Sisera ;    and    Jael    went    out    to    meet 
him.   and   said   to    him  :    Come,   I    will   show    thee   the    man   thou    art  30 
seeking.       And    he    went    in   with    her,   and    there    was    Sisera    I\-ing 

23  dead,  with    the  pin   in  his  temple.      Thus    God   on   that   day  enabled 

24  the  Israelites  to  subdue  Jabin,  the  King  of  Canaan.  And  the 
power  of  the  Israelites  prevailed  more  and  more  over  Jabin,  the 
King  of  Canaan,  till  they  destroyed   him  altogether.  35 

^ong  of  ®c6ora6. 
5,1  'T^HEN  Deborah  sang,  with  Barak  ben-Abinoam,  on  that  day:' 

2     With    sacrifices  of  firstlings^  in    Israel,' 

With  freewill-offerings  of  the  people,  bless  Jhvh  ! 


5,3     Hear,  O  ye  kings!   give  ear,   O  ye  sovereigns! 
I  to  Jhvh   will  raise  my  song, 
Will  sing  to  Jhvh,  Israel's  God. 

4  Jhvh,  when  from  Seir  Thou   settest  out. 
When  from  the  land  of  Edom  Thou   marchedst. 
The  earth   trembled,   the   heavens   <sway>ed, 

5  The  clouds   dripped  water,  the    mountains   streamed," 
At   the   presence  of  Jhvh,  of  Jhvh,  Israel's  God.3 

6  In   the  days   of  Shamgar  ben-Anath, 
In   the   days   of  Jael,    ccaravans>   ceased. 

And  solitary   travelers   took  o  roundabout  ways.* 

7  sHamletS!   ceased   in   Israel,      *      *     ceased. 

Till  thou   didst    arise,   O    Deborah, 

Till  thou   didst  arise,   a  matron  in   Israel. 


15 


No  shield  was  seen,   nor  spear. 

Among  forty  thousand  in   Israels 
9    My  heart  is  with   the  rulers  of  Israel ; 

Ye  who  offer  freely  among  the  people,  bless  Jhvh  \^  20 

10    Ye  who   ride  tawny  asses. 

Sit   upon     .      .      and   walk   in   the   way,   ssing?! 
II 

There  they  rehearse  the   victories   of  Jhvh, 

The  victories   of     .      .      .      in   Israel.  25 

Then   marched  down   to  the  gates   the  people   of  Jhvh.' 

12  Awake,   awake,    O    Deborah  ! 
Awake,   awake,   lift   up   the   song ! 

Arise,   Barak  !    lead  captive  thy  captives,   son   of  Abinoam !  ^ 

13  Then  cl)sr<ael>  <marched   down>  clike>  noblesiji  30 
The  people   lof  Jhvh  <marched   down>  for  <Him>  as   heroes. 

14  .     .      Ephraim  

Benjamin 

From   Machir  came  truncheon-bearers, 

From   Zebulun  those  wielding  the    muster-master's  staff'  35 

15  And   tthei  princes  lof  "  Issachar  with   Deborah, 


5,  5  "that  is,  Sinai 


5  ,  15  -  2y  — «-l-^^5f  2"*3'8  -sj.»*8i3-»"9 —  lo 

5    And  tNaphtali>     .      .      Barak, 

Into  tlic  plain  was   hurled   at   his  back.'° 

15  Great  were  the  =dissensionS"    in  the  divisions  of  Reuben. 

16  Why   didst  thou   remain  amid   ash-heaps, 

Listening  to  pipings  at   sheep-folds  ?  ts"  5 

17  Gilead  sat  still,   bc\-ond  Jordan  ; 

And  why  does   Dan  go  abroad  in  ships  ? 
On  the  shore  of  the  sea  tarries  Asher, 
Sitting  still   by   his   places  for   landing." 

18  But  Zebulun   and   Naphtali  were   tribes  10 
That  recked  not  of  life  on  the  battle-field's   heights. '3 

19  Kings  came  and   fought ; 

Then   fought   the   Kings  of  Canaan, 

At  Taanach,   by   the  streams  of  Megiddo.'* 

Gain   of  silver  they  took   not !  15 

20  From  heaven   *itself*  fought  the  starsi.i 

From  their  courses  they   fought  against   Sisera. 

21  The  stream   of  Kishon   swept  them  away. 
The     .      .      .     stream,   the  stream   of  Kishon. "= 


22  Then   iwere  batteredi   the   hoofs  of  his  horses. 
By  the  galloping  of  his  chargers.''' 

23  Curse   Meroz,   says  the   Messenger  of  Jhvh, 
Curse  its  inhabitants  bitterly  ! 

Because  they  came   not  to  the   aid   of  Jhvh,  25 

To  the  aid   of  Jhvh    like   heroes.'' 

24  Blessed  above  all   women   is  Jael,° 
Above  all   women   in  tents   is  she  blessed! 

25  Water   he  asked,   milk  she  gave  ; 

Curds  in  a  mighty  bowl   did   she  bring   him.  30 

26  Her  hand   ishe  puts  forthi   to  the   pin. 

Her  right   hand  to   the 

And  smites,*  crushes   his   head. 
Shatters,   pierces   his   temple.'" 

27  At   her  feet  he  sank   down,   he   fell,   he  lay ;  "  35 
Where   he   sank   he   lay,    of  life   bereft. '' 

2.S    Through  the   window   peered  and 


5,24  "wifL-  of  Heber,  the  Kenite  26  *  Sisera 


II  — «*e^^i6- ^ubgce -sss^sfE**-* —  5,29-6,10 

5     The  mother   of  Sisera   through   the    lattice : 
"Why  are   his  chariots   so    long   in    coming? 
Why   tarries   the   trampling   of  his   horses  P"''" 

29  The   wisest   of  her   princesses  reply  ", 
Yea,   she  answers    her  words  herself: 

30  "They   must  be  finding,   dividing   the  spoil*, 
A  wench   or  two   for   each    man. 

Booty   of  dyed   stuffs  for  Sisera,  <> 

A   piece   of  embroidery  cj  or   two   for   the   neck    of     .      .  " — 

31  So  perish  Thine   enemies    all,   O   Jhvh  ! 

But   be  <Thy>  friends   as   the   sun   when   he   rises    in   power." 

Then  the  land  enjoyed  security  for  forty  years. 


(Bticon  freea  ^ovad  from  t6«  QUtitamfee. 

6,1  ''  I  ^HE    Lsraelites    offended    Jhvh,    and    Jhvh     delivered    them    to 

2  X      Midian  for  seven  years.'     The  power  of  Midian  prevailed  over  15 
Israel ;     for    safety    from     Midian    the     Israelites     made     themselves' 

3  hiding-places^  in  the  mountains,  and  caves,  and  fastnesses  ;  for 
when     Israel     had    sowed,     Midian,    and    Amalek,    and    the    Eastern 

4  ♦Bedouins*   would  come  up;^   and   they  came    up  against    Israel,   and 
encamped    upon    their   land,   and   destroyed   the   crops,    as    far   as   the  20 
region  about   Gaza;    they  left  nothing  in   Israel  to  live  on,   neither  a 

5  sheep,  nor  an  ox,  nor  an  ass.*  For  they  themselves  and  their 
flocks  would  come  up,  with  their  tents,  and  come  in  like  locusts  in 
number;  they  and  their  camels  were  innumerable;  and  they  invaded 

6  the    land   to    its    ruin ;    and    Israel   was   brought   very   low    by    reason  25 

7  of  Midian.      Then  the  Israelites  cried  for  help  to  Jhvh.      And  when 

8  the  Israelites  cried  to  Jhvh  on  account  of  Midian,  Jhvh  sent  a 
prophet  to  the  Israelites,  who  thus  addressed  them:^  Thus  says 
Jhvh,    the    God    of    Israel :    It    was    I    who    brought    you    up    from 

9  Egypt,    out    of   the    place    where    ye    were    slaves ;    and    I    delivered  30 
you   from    the    Egyptians   and   from   all    who    oppressed   you ;    and    I 

10  enabled  you  to  drive  them  out,  and  gave  you  their  land.*  And  I 
said  to  you :  I  am  Jhvh,  your  God ;  ye  shall  not  fear  the  gods  of 
the  Amorites  in  whose  land  ye  dwell;  but  ye  have  not  heeded 
m\'  words.  35 


J 


UCj 


6,11-27  — »4«*ea*- ^''^S*' 

11  Then  the  Messenger  of  Jhvh  came,  and  sat  down  under  the 
holy  tree  in  Ophrah  (which  belonged  to  Joash,  the  Abi-ezrite"),  when 
Gideon,   the   son   of  Joash,   was  beating  out  wheat  in   the  wine-press 

12  to  escape  the  notice  of  Midian.*  And  the  Messenger  of  Jhvh 
appeared    to    Gideon,    and    said    to    him :    Jhvh    is    with    thee,    thou  5 

13  mighty  hero!'  Gideon  answered:  I  pray,  sir,  if  Jhvh  be  indeed 
with   us,   why  has  all  this  befallen  us?      Where  are  all   His  miracles 

(7)J  ^     whereof  our    fathers    told    us,    saying:    Did   not    Jhvh    bring    us    up 
/V  from  Egypt?'"     But  now  Jhvh  has  cast   us  off,   and  surrendered   us 

14  to  Midian.      Then  Jhvh  faced  him,  and  said:"   Go,  in  this  might  of  10 

15  thine,  and  deliver  Israel  from  Midian;  do  not  I  send  theef^"  But 
he   replied:    I   pray,   sir,    how   should    I    deli\er    Israel?     My   sept   is 

16  the  poorest  in  Manasseh,  and  I  tlie  least  in  my  family. '3  Jn^H 
answered:    Surely,  /  will  be  with  thee,'*  and  thou  shalt  strike  down 

17  the    Midianites  as  one   man.      And  he  said :    If  Thou   wilt  do   me   a  15 
favor,  give  me  a  sign  that  dt  is>  Thou  <.who>  speakest  with  me ;^^ 

iS  d(5  not  move  from  this  spot  till  I  come  to  Thee  and  bring  out  my 
offering  and   set   it    before   Thee.       He   replied :    I    will   stay   till   thy 

19  return.      So    Gideon    went    and    prepared    a    kid,    and    an    ephah    of 
flour   made   into    unleavened  cakes  ;'*    the   meat   he   put  in   a  basket,  20 
and  the  broth  in  a  pot,  and  brought  it  to  the   Messenger  under  the 

20  tree,  and  presented  it  to  him.     The  Messenger  of  <Jhvh>  bade   him: 
/C)J^         Take  the    meat    and    the   cakes,    and   put   them    down    on   this   rock, 

21  and  pour   out   the    broth. '?     When    Gideon    had    done    so,    the    Mes- 
senger   of  Jhvh    reached   out   the    staff  which    he  had   in    his    hand,  25 
and  with   the  tip  touched  the  meat  and  the  cakes ;  and  fire  came  up 
from  the  stone,   and  consumed   the   meat  and   the  cakes.      Then   the 

22  Messenger  of  Jhvh  passed  from  his  sight?^  When  Gideon  per- 
ceived that  it  was  the   Mes.senger  of  Jhvh,  he  exclaimed:    Oh,   Lord 

23  Jhvh  !    I    have    seen    the    Messenger    of  Jhvh    face    to    face!''      But  30 
Jhvh    said   to    him :     Thou    art    safe;     fear    not,    thou    shalt    not    die. 

24  Then  Gideon  built  there  an  altar  to  Jhvh,  which  he  named  Jnvn- 
shalom ;    it  is  standing  to  this  day  at  Ophrah  in  Abi-ezer.=° 

25  That   night  Jhvh   said  to  him:  Take  cthe  fat>  bullock  belonging 
to    thy    father,^'     .      .      .  ,    and    pull    down    the   altar   of   Baal    which  35 
belongs   to  thy  father,  and   cut   down   the  sacred   pole  which   stands 

26  beside  it,"  and  build  an  altar  to  Jhvh,  thy  God,  on  the  top  of  this 
C  .stronghold  .  .  .  . ;  and  take  the  <fat)  bullock,  and  offer  it  as  a 
■~  burnt-offering,  using  the  wood  of  the  sacred  pole  which  thou  art  to 

27  cut    down.     So    Gideon  took   ten   of  his   servants,    and   did   as   Jh\h  40 
bade    him ;  but    since    he   feared  to  do  it  by  day,   on  account  of  his 


13  a-S^^SS- ^U^S*^"  •*S^!-^****~-  6,28-7,2 

father's  family  and  the  men  of  the  town,  lie  did   it   by  night.     When  6,2s 
the  men  of  the  town  rose  up  in  the  morning,  they  found  the  altar  of 
Baal  pulled  down,  and  the  sacred  pole  that  stood  beside  it  cut  down,  ^  n 

and  the  '■fah  bullock  offered  on  the  new  altar  which  had  been  built.         '  ''^■^  '^  . 
5  The    townsmen    therefore    inquired    of  one   another :    Who    has    done  29 
this?     And  when  they  found  by  inquiry  that  Gideon  ben-Joash  had       ,  -       p 

done    it,    the    townsmen    demanded    of  Joash:     Bring     out    thy    son,  30 
that    he    may   die ;    for   he    has    pulled    down   the  altar   of  Baal,  and 
cut  down  the  sacred  pole  that  stood  beside   it.     But  Joash  answered  31 

10  all   who    thus    assailed    him:    Will  ye    take   up  Baal's  quarrel?  —  will 
ye   vindicate   him?     Whoever  takes  itp  Baal's  quarrel  shall  be  put 
to   death   bv   morning.''^      If  -BaaU  be  a  god,   let  him  take  his  own 
part.^-*'      Thus    Gideon    got    that    day    the    name    Jerubbaal,    that    is  32 
to    say,    'Let    Baal    contend    with    him,' =5    because   he  pulled  dozvn 

15  *Baal's-   altar. 

Now  all   Midian,   and  Amalek,   and  the   Eastern  ^Bedouins*   had  2>i 
gathered  together,    and   crossed   --the  Jordan*,   and   encamped  on  the 
Plain    of  Jezreel.^*     And   the    spirit  of  Jh\h   possessed   Gideon,-'  and  34 
he   sounded   the   alarm,    and  *the    men   of-   Abi-czer   were   called    out  Iv 

20  to   follow  him.     He  sent  messengers  also  through  all  Manasseh,   and  35 
they,    too,    were  called  out  to   follow   him;    he  sent  messengers  also 
through  Asher,   and  Zebulun,  and  Naphtali,   and  they  marched  to 
meet  them.-''' 

'9 Then   Gideon   said  to   God:    If  Thou   wilt   really   deliver   Israel  36 

25  by  my  hand,   as  Thou    sayest,   I  am    going  to  put  a  fleece   of  wool  37 
on   the   threshing-floor;    if  there   be    dew   on   the   fleece   alone,    while 
all  the   ground   is    dry,    I    shall   know   that  Thou    wilt    deliver   Israel 
by  my  hand,   as  Thou   sayest.     And  so  it  was :    in   the   morning  he  3S 
rose,   and   squeezed  the   fleece,   and  wrung   dew  out   of  the  fleece,  a 

30  bowlful    of  water.     And    Gideon    said    to    God :    Be   not    angry   with  39 
me;    let    me   speak   this   once   more ;'°    let    me    make    trial    with    the 
fleece   only   this   once   more.      Now   let    only   the   fleece   be    drj-,    and 
let  there   be    dew   on  all   the  ground.      And    God    did  so  that  night;  40 
the    fleece    only   was    dry,    while    there  was   dew  on  all   the   ground. 

35  Jerubbaal   (that    is,   Gideon)  and   all   the    people    who   were   with  7 ,  i 

him  set  out  in  the  morning,  and  encamped   near  En-harod ;   the  camp 
of  Midian   was  t>  north   cof  Gibeah    ha-moreh.o3'      Then    Jhvh    said  2 
to    Gideon :    The    people    who    are   with   thee   are   too    many   for   me 


E 


6,31  "because  he  pulled  down  his  altar 


7,3-15  — 944=^e€iSi- 3"63«'' ^s®****"* —  H 

7  to  give  Midian   into  their  power;    lest   Israel  vaunt  itself  against  me, 

3  saying:  I  wrought  deliverance  for  myself 3'  So  now  make  proc- 
lamation to  the  people  .■  Whoever  is  fearful  and  timid  shall  turn 
back    and "     In   consequence,  twenty-two  thousand  of 

4  them    returned;    but    ten    thousand    remained.      Then    Jhvh    said    to  5 
Gideon :    The    people    are    still    too    many ;    lead   them    down   to   the 
water,  that   I  miy  separate  them  for  thee  there;    every  one  of  those 
of  whom  I  say  to   thee :   He   shall  go  with  thee,  shall  go   with  thee ; 
and  every   one  of   those   of  whom    I  say   to    thee:    He  shall   not  go 

5  with  thee,  shall   not  go.      So   he   led  the  people   down  to  the  water;  10 
and  Jhvh  said  to  Gideon :  All  those  who  lap  water  with  their  tongues, 
as   a   dog   laps,    thou    shalt    set    by   themselves ;    and    all   those    who 

5  kneel  down  to  drink  <shalt  thou  set  by  themselves*  .^^  And  the 
number  of  those  who  lapped    []   amounted  to  three  hundred;  all  the 

7  rest  of  the  people  knelt  down  to   drink   water.  c["].    And   Jhvh   said  15 
to    Gideon:    Ry   the   three   hundred    men    who    lapped    I    ^\■iIl    deliver 
you,    and    will    give    Midian    into    thy    power;    all    the    rest    of   the 

8  people  shall  return  w'hence  they  came.  So  they  took  the  ijars)  of 
the  people  in   their    hands,   and   their  horns ;    and  ♦Gideon*  dismissed 

to   their   homes    all    the   levy  of  Israel,  but  kept   the   three   hundred  20 
men. 35     Now  he  had  the  camp  of  Midian  below  him  in  the  plain. 

9  That   night   Jhvh    said    to    him:    Arise!    descend    on   the    camp, 

10  I   deliver  it   over  to  thee.      And   if  thou   fearest  to   descend  on  it,  go 

11  down  thyself  to   the   camp,   with    Phurah,   thy  page,   and    hear   what 
they    say;     thereafter    thou    wilt    have    courage    to    descend    on    the  25 
camp.      So   he   went   down   with    Phurah,    his   page,   to   the  outermost 

12  of  the  armed  men  who  were  in  the  camp.  Now  Midian,  and 
Amalek,  and  all  the  Eastern  ^Bedouins*  were  lying  in  the  plain,  like 
locusts  in  number,  and  their  camels  were  innumerable,  like  the  sand 

13  on    the    sea-shore  in   number. 3*    Just  as   Gideon   reached  tthe  camp*,  30 
a    man   was    telling    his    comrade    a   dream,  saying:    I   dreamed  that 

a    cake    of    barley    griddle-bread  3^    was     rolling    hither    and    thither 
through  the  camp  of  Midian ;    and   it   came   to   the  tent,   and  struck 

14  it,"    and    turned     it     upside     down.'      His    comrade    answered:    This 
means   nothing   else   than   /Ae  sword  of  Gideon  ben-Joash,   the   men  35 
of   Israel ;     God    has    given    into    their    power    Midian    and   all    the 

15  camp. 3*     When    Gideon    heard    the    dream    repeated   and    interpreted, 
he   bowed   in   adoration;    and   returning  to  the   camp  of  Israel,   said: 
Arise!   Jhvh  has  delivered  the  camp  of  Midian  into  your  power. 
■»s«i^s««- 

7,6  "with  their  hands  to  their  mouth  13  *and  it  fell  'and  the  tent  fell 


15  ^**«^es3s- 3"*3'^*  •*®^^'^*** —  7,16-8,4 

i         Then  he  divided  his  three  hundred  men  into  three  companies,  7,16 
and  furnished  them  all  with  horns,   and  empty  jars,   and   torches   in 
the   jars;    and    said    to    them :    Ye    must    watch    me,    and    do    as    I  17 
do ;  when    I    come   to  the  edge  of  the  camp,  ye  must  do  just  what 
5  I    do ;    and  when    I    and    all   those   who    are    with    me    give   a    blast  18 
on    the    horn,    then    ye    also   must    blow   your    horns    all    about    the 
camp,  an(^  say :    For  JHVH  and  Gideon !     Now   Gideon   and  <the>  19 
hundred    men   who   were   with    him    reached    the   edge    of  the   camp 
at  the   beginning   of  the   middle   watch 3'  (the   guards  had  just   been 

10  posted),   and   they   blew  their   horns,   and  broke   the  jars  they  held 
in   their  hands.     Then   the   three   companies   blew   their    horns,    and  20 
shattered   the  jars,   grasping   with  their  left  hands  the   torches,  and 
with   their  right   hands   the  horns  to   blow   withal,    and    shouted  -. 
t)  For  Jhvh  and  Gideon  !     And  they  stood  where  they  were,  about  21 

15  the   camp;    and   all   the   camp  iawok'e>,  and   sent  up  a  wild  cry,  and 
fled.     And  ^the^  three  hundred  blew  their  horns ;  and  Jhvh  set  every  22 
man's  sword  against  his   comrade  «  throughout  the  whole  camp,  and 
the   camp  fled   to   Beth-shittah,   to   Zerend«ah,   to  sthe  brink    of  Abel- 
meholah    near   Tabbath.''°     And   the   men   of   Israel   were    called    out  23 

20  from  Naphtali,  and  Aslier,  and  all  Manasseh,  and  pursued  Midian.''' 
Gideon  also  sent  messengers  through  all  the  Highlands  of  Ephraim,  24 
saying:    Come  down   to   meet    Midian,  and   hold  the  streams   against 
them    as    far    as    Beth-barah,   and  the  Jordan  ;*''   so   all   the  men    of 
Ephraim    were    called    out,    and    held    the    streams    as    far    as    Beth- 

25  barah,   and   the  Jordan.      And  they  took  the  two   chiefs  of  Midian,  25 
Oreb  and  Zeeb,  and  slew  Oreb  at  Oreb's   Rock  and  Zeeb  at  Zeeb's 
Press ;  *^   and  they  pursued  -->  Midian,    and   brouglit    the    heads    of 
Oreb  and  Zeeb  to  Gideon  on  the  other  side  of  the  Jordan.'^* 

Then  the  Ephraimites  said  to  tGideon*:  What  trick  is  this  thou  8,1 

30  hast  played   us,  not  to  summon   us  when  thou  wentest  to  fight  with 
Midian?     And  they  found  fault  with  him  angrily. '*5     But  he  answered  2 
them :    What    have    I    done    now   in   comparison    with   you  ?       Is    not 
Ephraim's  gleaning  better  than  Abi-ezer's  vintage  ?    Into  your  hands  3 
God   has   given    Oreb   and    Zeeb,   the   chiefs    of   Midian ;    What    have 

35  I    been   able    to    do    in    comparison   with    what   ye    have   done  ?     By 
this  speech  their  anger  against   him  was   appeased. 

Gideon  came    to   the   Jordan,"  he    and    the    three    hundred    men  4 
whom    he    had    with    him,    faint    from    hunger,    yet    in    full    pursuit. 


8,  4  "crossing 


8,5-21  ^**«#6@J(i- 3"*3**' •*^^^**^  i^ 

8,5  And   he   said   to   the   inhabitants   of  Succoth:*''  Give   loaves  of  bread 
to    the    men   who    are    following    me ;    for    they    are    faint ;    I    am 

6  pursuing  Zebah  and  Zalmunna,  the  Kings  of  Midian.*"  But  the 
magistrates  of  Succoth  answered :  Are  Zebah  and  Zalmunna  already 

7  in    th_\-    power,    that    we    should    give    thy    soldiers    bread  ?     Then  5 
Gideon    said:     When    Jhvh    gives    Zebah    and    Zalmunna    into    my 
power,  I  will  trample  your  bodies  on  ♦a  bed  of«  thorns  of  the  desert 
and  of  knapweed.5'' 

8  Thence  *Gideont  went  up  to  Penuel,''^  and  made  the  same 
request    of  them ;    but    the   inhabitants    of   Penuel    answered    him    as  10 

9  those  of  Succoth  had  answered.  Then  he  threatened  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Penuel :  When  I  return  successful,  I  will  pull  down  this 
tower.''' 

10  Now   Zebah    and    Zalmunna  were   at    Karkor,^"   and   their    horde 
with  them,  about  fifteen  thousand  men — all  that  were  left  of  all  the  15 
hordes  of  the  Eastern  tBedouins*;  but  the  slain  were  a  hundred  and 

1 1  twenty   thousand   fighting   men.     And    Gideon   went   up   by   the   way 

,    east   of   Nobah    and    Jogbehah,''   and    attacked    the    camp 

12  as  it  lay  in  security.  Zebah  and  Zalmunna  fled;  but  he  pursued 
them,  and   caught  both   the   Kings  of  Midian,  Zebah  and   Zalmunna;  20 

13  and    scattered    all    the    horde. ^^     Then    Gideon    ben-Joash     returned 

14  from  the  war,  .  .  .S3  And  he  captured  a  boy  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Succoth,  and  questioned  him,  and  the  boy  gave  him  a  list  of 
the    Magistrates   of  Succoth,    and   of  its    Elders,    seventy-seven    men. 

15  So  he  came  to  the  people  of  Succoth,  and  said :  See,  here  are  Zebah  25 
and     Zalmunna    concerning     whom    )^e    taunted    me,    saying:     Are 
Zebah   and    Zalmunna    already   in    thy   power,    that    we    should    give 

16  bread  to  thy  famishing  men  ?  Then  he  took  the  Elders  of  the 
city,    and  taking   thorns    of    the    desert    and    knapweed,  «trampl.ed 

17  thereon    the    men    of    Succoth. 5*      He    also    pulled    down    the    tower  30 

18  of  Penuel,  and  killed  the  inhabitants  of  the  town.  Then  he 
demanded  of  Zebah  and  Zalmunna:  cWho,  then',  were  the  men 
whom  )'e  killed  at  Tabor?"     They  answered:    They   were   just  like 

19  thee;  in  stature  like  king's  sons,  cevery>  one.  He  exclaimed:  They 
were  my  brothers,  my  own  mother's  sons  !     By  Jhvh,  if  ye  had  spared  35 

20  their  lives,  I  would  not  have  killed  you! 5"=  And  he  bade  Jether, 
his   eldest   son :    Arise !    kill    them  !      But   the    bo\'   did    not   draw  his 

21  sword ;    he  was  afraid,  being  still  but  a  boy.      Zebah    and    Zalmunna 
said:   Arise   thyself,   and    fall   on    us ;    a   man    has   a    man's   strength. 
Then    Gideon    himself  arose,   and    killed    Zebah   and    Zalmunna,    and  40 
took  the  crescents  that  were  on  the  necks  of  their  camels. 5? 


17  — i^-^m^  ^ui^ee -^m^a^-^ —  8,22-9,2 

The   men   of   Israel    said   to    Gideon:    Rule   over   us,    thou,    and  8,22 
thy   son,    and   thy   son's   son ;    for   thou    hast    delivered    us   from   the    J^A}->'     ~ 
power   of   Midian.       But   Gideon    replied :    I   will   not   rule   over  you,  2y 
nor  shall  my  son   rule  over  you ;   Jhvh   shall   rule  over  you.^^ 
5  And    Gideon    said    to    them:     I    will    ask    one    thing    of  you  :59  24 

every  man  give  me   the   ear-ring   that   he   has   taken   from  the  spoil,      / 
(they     had     golden     rings,     for     they     were     Ishmaelites).''°      They  2^' 
answered :     We    will    gladly    give    them.       So     he     spread     out     his 
mantle,    and    every    man    threw    down    on    it    the    ring    that    he    had 

10  taken  from  the  spoil.     And  the  weight  of  the  golden  rings  for  which  26 
he  had  asked  was  seventeen  hundred  shekels  of  gold;^'  not  including 
the    crescents    and    pendants,    and   the  purple  garments    zvhich    the 
Kings  of  Midian  wore,  nor  the  necklaces  which  were  on  the  necks 
of  their  camels.^"     And  Gideon  made  it  into  an  Ephod-idol,  and  set  27 

15  it   up  in  his  native  town,  Ophrah;*^   and   all  Israel  went  astray  after 
it    there ;    and    it    became    a    snare    to    Gideon    and    to    his    family. ^"^ 
Thus    the    Midianites    were   subdued   by   the    Israelites,   and    did    not  2S 
lift  their  heads  again ;  and  the  land  enjoyed  security  for  forty  years 
in  the  days  of  Gideon.  r- 

20  So  Jerubbaal    ben-Joash    went,  and   dwelt  in   his   home.^5 — ^ow^  29 .  30 

Gideon    had   seventy  sons,  *all*   begotten   by  him,  for    he    had    many  r 

wives.      And    his    concubine    also,  who    lived    in  Shechem,   bore   him  31  I'fyf     ^ 
a  son,  whom   he  named  Abimelech.*^     Then   Gideon  ben-Joash  died  32 
at  a  hoar  old   age,  and  was  buried  in  the  tomb  of  his  father  Joash, 

25  in    Ophrah."       But    as    soon    as     Gideon    was     dead    the     Israelites  35 
relapsed,    and    went    astray    after    the    Baals,    and    established    Baal-      « 
berith   as   their   god.*^     The   Israelites   did   not   remember   their  God,  34-^ 
Jhvh,  who   had  rescued    them    from    the    power    of  all    the    enemies 
who  encompassed  them;*'    nor   did   they  deal  as  well  by  the  family  35 

30  of  JerubbaaP  as   all   the  good   that  he  had   done  to   Israel   deserved. 

I^teforj  of  oRBimefec^,  "King  of  ^6«c6cin. 

ABIMELECH    ben-Jerubbaal    went    to    Shechem    to    his    mother's  9,1 
-   kinsmen,  and  spoke  to    them  and  to  the  whole  clan   to   which 
his   mother's   family   belonged,  saying  :    Put   this  question  to  all    the  2     ^ 
35  citizens    of  Shechem  :     Which   is   better   for  you  ?    that   seventy   men         -* 
should    rule    over    you  —  all    these    sons    of  Jerubbaal  —  or   that    one 
man   should   rule  over   you  ?      And    remember   that   I   am   your   own 


8,32  "of  Abi-ezer  35  ® Gideon 


9.3-21  — •4«#^Cic  3"*3'*  ■*5^'*^'** —  '^ 

1,3  flesh  and  blood."  So  his  mother's  kinsmen  spoke  in  his  behalf  to 
all  the  citizens  of  Shechem,  repeating  what  he  had  said,  and  the 
citizens  were  persuaded  to   follow  Abimelech ;    for   they  said :     He  is 

4  our  kinsman.  And  they  gave  him  seventy  shekels  of  silver  from 
the  temple  of  Baal-berith  ;^  with  this  money  Abimelech  hired  a  band  5 

s  of  worthless  and  reckless  followers.  Then  he  went  to  his  father's 
home  at  Ophrah,  and  killed  his  brothers,  the  sons  of  Jerubbaal, 
seventy  men,  on  one  stone;'  there  was   left  only  Jotham,  Jerubbaal's 

6  youngest  son,  who  had  hidden  himself  And  all  the  citizens  of 
Shechem    and    all    Beth-millo''    assembled,  and  went   and   made  Abi-  10 

7  inelech  king,  by  the  tmonument)-tree  which  was  in  Shechem.  When 
Jotham  was  told  of  this,  he  went  and  stood  on  the  top  of  Mount 
Gerizim,    and    shouted    to   them  -.^     Hearken    to    me,    ye    citizens    of 

s  Shechem,  as  ye  hope  that  God  will  hearken  to  you. —  Once  upon  a 
time   the   trees   went   about  to   anoint  a  king  over  them.     And   they  15 

9  said    to    the    olive :    Reign    thou    over   us !      But   the   olive  answered : 

Shall    I    leave  off  my  fatness,  <where>witii    gods    and    men  tares  hon- 

II I  oriedi,  and  come  to  hold  sway  over  the  trees?     Then  the  trees  said 

11  to  the  fig:   Come  thou,  reign  over  us!      But  the  fig  answered:   Shall 

I  leave  off  my  sweetness  and   fine  crop  of  fruit,  and   come   to   hold  20 

12  sway    over    the    trees?      Then    the    trees    said    to    the    vine:     Come 

13  thou,  reign  over  us!  But  the  vine  answered:  Shall  I  leave  off  my 
juice,    which     gladdens     gods    and     men,    and    come    to    hold    sway 

14  over   the   trees?     Then    all    the    trees   said    to   the   box-thorn:    Come 

15  thou,    reign    over    us!     And    the    thorn    answered    the    trees:     If    in  25 
good    faith    ye    are    anointing   me   king  over   you,  come,   take   refuge 

in    my    shade ;    but    if  not,   fire    shall    go   forth   from   the   thorn,  and 

16  devour  the  cedars  of  Lebanon  !*  And  now,  if  ye  have  acted  in 
good  faith  and  honor  in  making  Abimelech  king,  and  if  ye  have 
dealt    well    by    Jerubbaal    and    his    family,    and    requited    him    as    he  30 

17  deserved,  seeing    that    my    father    fought    for    you,  and    ventured  his 
iS  life,  and    rescued    you    from    Midian,    albeit    ye   are    to-day    risen    up 

against    my    father's    family,  and    have    slain    his    sons,    seventy   men 
on    one    stone,  and    made    Abimelech,  the    son    of  his    maid-servant, 

19  king  over  the  citizens  of  Shechem,  because  he  was  your  kinsman, —  35 
if,    I   say,   ye   have   acted    in    good   faith   and    honor  towarti   Jerubbaal 
and   his   famil_\-   this   day,'   I    wish   you   joy  of  Abimelech,   and    I   wish 

20  him  joy  of  you  ;  but  if  not,  may  fire  come  forth  from  Abimelech, 
and  devour  the  citizens  of  Shechem  and  Beth-millo ;  and  fire  go 
forth    from    the    citizens    of    Shechem    and     Beth-millo,    and    devour  40 

21  Abimelech!*  Then  Jotham  took  to  flight,  and  went  to  Beer,9  and 
dwelt  there,   to  be   out  of  the   reach   of  his  brother  Abimelech. 


Z        ^ 

O       < 


19  -^>-i*=^miif^ui>zee^iBi^m-<—  9,22-37 

After  Abimelech   had   ruled   over  Israel  three   years'"  God  sent  9,22.23 
a  spirit  of  discord  between  Abimelech   and  the  citizens  of  Shechem," 
and    the    citizens    of    Shechem    played    Abimelech     false ;     that    the  24 
murder    of  the    seventy    sons    of    Jerubbaal    and    that    their    blood 
5  might    come"   upon    their    brother  Abimelech,   who   killed   them,   and 
upon    the    citizens    of    Shechem,    who    enabled    him    so    to    kill    his 
brothers."     And    the    citizens    of  Shechem    put    men    in    ambush    on  25 
the  hill-tops,  and   robbed  all   who  passed   on  the  road  through  their 
country;    and  this   was  told   Abimelech. '3 

10  And   Gaal    ben-<0>bed  and  his    kinsmen    came  and    moved    into  26 

Shechem ;     and    the    citizens    of    Shechem    put    confidence    in    him.''' 
Antl    they    went    out    into    the     country,    and     gathered     the     grapes  27 
from  their  vineyards,  and  trod  them ;   and  they   made   festivities,  and 
went    to    the   temple    of  their   god,   and    ate    and    drank,   and  cursed 

15  Abimelech. '5     And   Gaal  ben-tO>bed  said:  Who  is  *this+  Abimelech?  2S 
and  who  are  the  Shechemites,  that  we  should  serve  him  ?    iWerei  not 
this    son    of  Jerubbaal,    and    Zebul,    his    lieutenant,    isubjectsi    of  the 
family  of  Hamor?"    Why,  then,  should  we  serve  him?"'    Would  that  29 
I  had  the  leading  of  this  people,   I   would  get   rid   of  Abimelech !   <\ 

20  would    say>    to    Abimelech :     Recruit    your    army,    and     come     out ! 
When     Zebul,    the    governor    of    the    city,'''    heard    what    Gaal    ben-  30 
<0>bed   said,   he    was    angry,   and  sent   messengers  to    Abimelech  cat  31 
Arumah>,'^  saying :    Gaal    ben-<0>bcd    and    his    kinsmen   are    coming 
to    Shechem,    and    are    cstirring    upj    the    city    against    thee.       Now,  32 

25  therefore,    set    out    by    night    with    the    men    thou    hast    with    thee, 
and    lie    concealed    in    the    fields ;    and    in    the    morning    at    sunrise  33 
thou   must   get   up   and   march    forth    against   the    city;    and    when   he 
and    the    men    who    are    with    him    go   out  to   meet  thee,   thou    must 
do  to   him  as   the  occasion   ser\es. 

30  So   Abimelech    and    all    the    men    he   had    with    him   set   out   by  34 

night,    and    lay    in    ambush    against    Shechem    in     four     companies. 
And    Gaal    ben-<0>bed   came  out   and   stood   at   the  entrance    of  the  35 
city    gate,    as    Abimelech    and    the    men    who    were    with     him    rose 
from  their  place  of  concealment.      When  Gaal  saw  the  troops,  he  said  36 

35  to    Zebul :     See,    there    is    a    body    of   men    coming    down    from    the 
mountain   tops.      Zebul    replied :    It   is   the   shadow   of  the    mountains 
which    thou  takest   for  men.      But  Gaal  spoke  again :   There  are  men  37 
coming  down  from  the  Navel  of  the  Land,  and  one  body  is  coming 


9 ,  24  "to  put  it  28  " the  father  of  Shechem 


9,3^-54  — »*K§e@»- ^uigcd ->s**8(3+<—  20 

9,38  by  the  road  from  the  Meonenim  Tree."'  Then  Zebul  said  to 
liini :  What  is  become  of  thy  boastful  words  when  thou  saidst: 
Who  is  Abimelech,  that  we  should  serve  him?  Are  not  these  the 
men  whom   thou   didst  so  despise?     March   out  now,  and   fight  with 

39  them !      And     Gaal     marched     out    at    the    head    of    the    citizens    of  5 

40  Shechem,  and  fought  with  Abimelech.  And  Abimelech  pursued 
him,    and    he   fled    before   Abimelech;    and   many   fell   slain,    even   to 

41  the  entrance  of  the  gate.  And  Abimelech  'returned,  and*  dwelt  at 
Arumah ;  but  Zcbul  dro\-e  out  Gaal  and  his  kinsmen,  that  they 
should   no   longer   live   in   Shechem.-^  10 

42  On   the   following    day   the    people   went   out    into    the   countrj'; 

43  and  Abimelech  was  informed  of  it.°'  So  he  took  his  men,  and 
divided  them  into  three  bodies,  and  lay  in  ambush  in  the  open 
country;    and   when    he   saw  the  people   coming  out   of  the  city,   he 

44  rose    against    them    and   attacked    them.       Abimelech    and   the    com-  15 
pan<y-   that   was    with    him    made   a   dash,   and    stood   at   the  entrance 
of  the   city   gate;    while   the   two    other    companies    rushed    upon   all 

45  those    who    were    in    the    fields,    and    slew    them.     And    Abimelech 
fought    against   the    city    all    that    day,    and   took    the    city,    and   slew 
the   people    who   were   in    it,   and   razed   the   city,    and   sowed   the   site  20 
with   salt.'"' 

46  When    all   the   citizens    of   the    Tower    of   Shechem    heard    of   it, 

47  the}-  went  into  the  scrj-pt'  of  the  temple  of  El-berith  ;  -^  and  it  was 
told  Abimelech   that  all   the  citizens   of  the  Tower  of  Shechem  were 

4S  gathered    there.      So    Abimelech    and    all    the    men    who    were    with  25 
him    went   up  on   Mount   Zalmon,    and   Abimelech   took  <his>  ax<-  in 
his    hand,   and    cut    brushwood,    and    took    it    up   and   put    it   on   his 
shoulder,    and    said    to    the    men    who    were   with   him :    Make   haste, 

49  and  do   what  ye   have   seen   me   do.      Then   all   the   people   cut   their 
brushwood,    and    followed    Abimelech,    and    put    it    upon    the  tcryph;  30 
and  set  fire   to   the  scrypt^  over  the   heads   of  those   who   were  in  it. 
Thus  died   also   all  the  inhabitants  of  the  Tower  of  Shechem,   about 

a   thousand   men   and   women. 

50  And   Abimelech   went   to  Thebez,  and   encamped  against  it,   and 

51  took    it.''''     Now   there   was    a    donjon-tower   within    the   city;    thither  35 
all    the    men    and   women   fled,  <>  all    the    citizens    of  the    town,   and 
closed    it    after    them,    and    went    up    on    the    roof    of    the    tower. 

52  Abimelech    came    to    the    tower,    and    attacked    it ;    and    as    he   drew 
,S3  near  to   the   door   of  the   tower,   to   burn  it,  a  certain   woman    threw 

an     upper     millstone    on    Abimelech's    head,    shattering    his     skull,'''  40 
54  And    he    called    quickly    to    his    attendant    armor-bearer,    and    bade 


21  — »*e««€iSi- 3«63"  ■^^53'f'**''''""  9,55-10,12 

him:    Draw   thy  sword,  and    kill    me,   lest  men  say:    A  woman    slew  9 
him.     So  his  page  ran  him  through,   and   he  died.^*    And  when  the  55 
Israelites    saw    that    Abimelech    was    dead     they    dispersed    to    their 
homes. 
5  Thus    God    brought    home    to    Abimelech    the    crime    which    he  56 

committed    against    his    father    in    murdering    his    seventy    brothers ; 
and  all  the  crime   of  the  men   of  Shechem  was  brought   upon   their  57 
own  heads;  the  curse  of  Jotham  ben-Jerubbaal  came  true  to  them.''' 


^6c  ^ufegce  ^ofa  anb  ^air- 

10     AFTER    Abimelech    there   arose   to    deliver   Israel   Tola   ben-Puah  10,1 
Jr\.  ben-Dodo,    a   man   of   Issachar,    who    dwelt    at    Shamir    in    the 
Highlands  of  Ephraim.      He  judged    Israel   twenty-three  years;  then  2 
he  died,  and  was  buried  at  Shamir." 

After  him   arose  Jair,  the  Gileadite,  who  judged    Israel   twenty-  3 

15  two    years.      He    had    thirty    sons,    7('/io  rode   on    thirty    asses ;    and  4 
they   had    thirty   towns   called    Havoth-jair   to   this   day,    in   the    land 
of  Gilead.''     And   Jair  died,  and  was  buried  at  Camon.  5 

3n(vobucfton  (0  t%i  %\Qtox^  of  i%i  Opprceseton  of  '^&x<xii 

by  the  Ammonites  and  Philistines. 

20     AND    the    Israelites    again    offended    Jhvh,    and    served    the    Baals  6 
■L\.  and   the  Astartes,  and  the  gods  of  Syria,    and  of  Phavu'cia, 
and  of  Moab,  and  of  tlie  Ammonites,   and  of  the  Philistines, '^  and 
forsook    Jhvh,    and    did    not    serve    Him.     And    Jhvh    was    incensed  7 
against   Israel,  and   sold  them  into  the  power    of  the  Philistines    and 

25  into     the     power     of    the     Ammonites.^      And     they     crushed  "  the  .s 
Israelites    that    year,    eighteen  years, '^    all    the    Israelites    who    were 
across  the  Jordan  in  the  land  of  the  Amorites  who  were  in   Gilead. 
And    the   Ammonites    crossed    the    Jordan    to    make   war    also    upon  g 
Judah*    and    Benjamin,    and    upon  the   tribe  of  Ephraim;    and    Israel 

30  was    in    great    straits.     Then    the    Israelites    cried    to   Jhvh    for   help,  10 
saying:    We  have  sinned  against  Thee, 5  <>  in   that   we  have   forsaken 
our   God,  .Jhvh>,    and   served    the    Baals.     And    Jhvh   answered   the  11 
Israelites:    Did  not  <>  the  Egyptians,  and  <>  the  Amorites,  and  <-  the 
Ammonites,    and  ->   the    Philistines,    and    the     Phcenicians,    and    the  12 


10,13-11,10  — »*e38^S!- ^uftgce -c-«>^>«-! —  22 

10  Anialekitcs,    and    the  <Midianites>  oppress    you ;    and    when   )-e    cried 

13  to  me  for  help  1  deHvered  you  from  their  power?''  But  yc,  on 
your   part,    have   forsaken    me,    and    served    other   gods  ;    therefore    I 

14  will  not  deliver  you   again.      Go  and  ci'v  to  the  gods  whom  ye   have 

15  chosen;    let   them   deliver  you   in    )'our   time    of  distress!^     And   the  5 
Israelites    replied   to   JhvH:    We   have   sinned;   do   Thou   to   us   what- 

16  ever  Thou  wilt;  only  save  us  to-day!'  Then  thc\-  put  away  the 
foreign   gods   from   among   them,   and  served   Juvii;'    and    He    could 

17  bear  the  misery  of  Israel  no  longer.  Now  the  Ammonites  were 
called     out,     and     encamped     in     Gilead,     and     the     Israelites     were  10 

18  assembled,  and  encamped  at  Mizpah.  And  the  people"  said  one 
to  another:  Who  is  the  man  that  will  begin  the  war  with  the 
Ammonites  ?      He  shall  be  head  of  all   the  inhabitants  of  Gilead.'".  -j 


^cp6t6a6  Idivire  (Btfeai  from  <6«  dRmmonttee. 

11,1    IV  TOW  Jephthah,  the  Gileadite,   was    a  great  warrior;    he  was  the  15 

2  1  >l  son  of  a  harlot ;  Gilead  begot  Jephtliah.  Gilcaci' s  ici/e  a/so 
bore  Iiini  sons ;  and  wlicii  the  wife's  sons  grezc  up,  thev  thritst 
Jephtliah    out,    and  said    to   liini:     Thou    sha/t    not    inherit    in    our 

3  fatlier  s    house,     for    tliou    art    the   son    of   anotlter    iconian.^       So 
Jephthah    fled    from    his    brothers,  and    dwelt    in    the    land    of  Tob ;  20 
and  there  gathered  about  him  worthless  fellows,   who  went  out  with 

4  him  on  forays.''    After  a  time,  the  Ammonites  made  war  with  Israel. ^ 

5  And    when    the    Ammonites    made   war    with    Israel,^    the    Elders    of 

6  Gilead  came  to  bring  Jephthah  back  from  the  land  of  Tob,  and  said 
to  Jephthah  :   Come  and  be  our  commander,  and   let   us  fight  against  25 

7  the  Ammonites.  But  Jephthah  answered  the  Elders  of  Gilead  :  Are 
not  ye  the  men  who  hated  me,  and  thrust  me  out  of  my  father's 
house?    Why  then  do  ye  come  to  me  now,  when   ye  are  in   straits ?s 

8  And    the   Elders  of  Gilead    replied    to   Jephthah :    Therefore    have  we 
now    returned    to    thee  ;*     and    if    thou    wilt    go    with    us    and    fight  30 
against  the  Ammonites,  thou  shalt  be  our  chief,  of  all  the  inhabitants 

9  of  Gilead.  Then  Jephthah  said  to  the  Elders  of  Gilead :  If  ye 
take    me    back    to    fight     against    the    Ammonites,    and    Jhvh     gives 

10  them    over    to    me,    I    shall    be    your    chief'       And    the    Elders    of 
Gilead    answered    Jephthah  :     Jhvh    shall     be    witness    to    what    has  35 
passed    between   us  ;    we  swear  that  we   will    do  just  as  thou  sayest. 


HSssSSSSsS*— 


10,  iH   'the  cliiefs  of  Gilead 


23  —*^^!^m;^  ^ui$ee -iim^^tf^—  11,11-26 

Then    Jephthah    went    with    the    Elders    of   Gilead,    and    the    people  11, -fi 
made  him  chief  and  commander  over  them.'     And   Jephthah  uttered 
all  his  words  before  Jhvh  at  Mizpah.9 

And  Jephthah  sent  messengers    to  the  King  of  the  Ammonites  12 
5  to    say :    What    is    there    between    us,    that    thou    art    come    to    war 
upon  my  country?'"    The  King  of  the  Ammonites    replied   to  Jeph-  13 
thah's    messengers :     It    is    because    Israel,    when    it    came    up    from 
Egypt,  took  my  territory,  from  the  Arnon  to  the  Jabbok,  and  ♦west* 
to   the   Jordan  ; "    now,  therefore,  restore  <it>  peaceably.     Jephthah  a  14 

10  second    time    sent    messengers    to   the   King   of  the   Ammonites,  and  15 
said  to  him  :  Thus  says  Jephthah  :    "  Israel  did  not  take  the  territory 
of    Moab    or    the    territorj^    of    the    Ammonites;"    for    when    they  16 
came    up    from    Egypt,   Israel    passed    through    the    desert    as    far    as 
the  Red  Sea, '3  and  came  to  Kadesh.     Then  Israel  sent  messengers  to  17 

15  the  King  of  Edom,  saying  :   Let  me  pass,   I  pray  thee,  through  thy 
land  ;    but  the  King  of  Edom  would   not   hearken   to  it ;  '"t    they  sent 
also    to    the   King    of   Moab,  and    he    refused ;  '^    so    Israel    remained 
at  Kadesh.     Then  they  went  through  the  desert,  and   made  a  circuit  iS 
about    the    land   of  Edom   and  the    land   of  Moab,  and   came    up  on 

20  the  east  of  the   land   of   Moab,  and   encamped   on   the    opposite  side 
of    the    Arnon,    but    did    not    enter    the    borders    of    Moab    (for    the 
Arnon     was    the    boundary    of    Moab).'*     Thence    Israel    sent    mes-  19 
sengers    to    Sihon,     King    of    the     Amorites,     King    of     Heshbon ; 
and    Israel    requested    of   him :    Let    me    pass,   I    pray  thee,    through 

25  thy    land,    to     my    place.''      But    Sihon     <refused>    cto    allow    Israel  20 
to    pass    through     his    borders ;     he    collected    all    his    people,    and 
encamped    at    Jahaz,     and     made    war    with     Israel. '^       But     Jhvh,  21 
the     God    of    Israel,    delivered    Sihon    and    all    his    people    into    the 
power    of   Israel,  and    Israel   defeated   them,  and    took    possession   of 

30  all  the   land  of  the  Amorites  who  inhabited   that   region.     Thus  they  22 
got  possession    of  all   the  territory  of  the  Amorites   from   the  Arnon 
to    the   Jabbok,  and    from   the    desert    to   the   Jordan. '9     Thus  Jhvh,  23 
the   God   of  Israel,   dispossessed   the   Amorites   to  give  their  land   to 
His  people,  Israel;  and  shalt  thou  possess  *the  land*?     Shouldst  not  24 

35  thou    possess  *the   territory  of*  those  whom  Chemosh,  thy  god,  dis- 
pos.sesses «,    and    we    possess    that    of    all    those    whom    Jhvh,    our 
God,    dispossesses    for    us?=°      Art    thou    so    much    better    than    the  25 
King  of   Moab,    Balak    ben-Zippor?      Did    he    have    any    contention 
with     Israel,    or    did    he    ever    go    to    war    against    them?^'      When 

40  Israel   dwelt   in   Heshbon  and   the  villages  belonging   thereto,  and  in  26 
<Jaazer>  and    the    villages    belonging    thereto,    and    in    all   the    towns 


V 


II .  27  - 12 ,  I  ^«*6««*Sis-  ^ubgcB  ->a«^-f-s^  24 

II  which   are   along  the    <Jordan>,    for    three    hundred    years,  why  didst 

27  ithou;  not  reclaim  ithenii  during  that  time?''  I  have  committed 
no  fault  against  thee ;  but  thou  art  doing  me  a  wrong  in  making 
war    upon    me-,    let    Jhvh,  who    is    arbiter    this    day,  decide  between 

28  Israelites  and  Ammonites." — But  the  King  of  the  Ammonites  would  5 
not  hearken  to  the  message  which  Jephthah  sent  him. 

29  Then  the  spirit  of  Jhvh  came  upon  Jephthah,  and  he  passed 
over  to  Gilead  and  Manasseli,  and  passed  over  to  Mizpeh  in 
Gilead,  and  from  Mizpeh  in  Gilead  lie  passed  over  do>  the  Ammo- 

30  nitcs."^     And    Jephthah    made    a  vow  to  Jhvh  :     If  Thou   wilt    give  10 

31  the  Ammonites  completely  into  my  power,  whosoever  it  may  be 
that  comes  out  of  the  door  of  my  house  to  meet  me  when  I 
return    successful     from     the    Ammonites     shall    be    Jhvh's;    I    will 

32  offer  him  as  a  burnt-offering.'''  Then  Jephthah  passed  over  to  the 
Ammonites    to   make   war    on   them,  and   Jhvh    gave   them    into    his  15 

33  power,  and  he  smote  them  from  Aroer  till  you  come  to  Minnith, 
tiventv  cities,  and  even  to  Abel-cheramim,  with  very  great  slaughter  ;'5 
and  the  Ammonites  were  subdued   by  the  Israelites. 

34  And    when    Jephthah     came    to     Mizpah,    to     his     home,'*    his 
daughter    came    out    to    meet    him,  with    tabrets    and    dances;''    she  20 
was    his    only   child,  beside  <her>  he   had    neither   son    nor   daughter. 

35  And  when  he  saw  her  he  rent  his  garments,  and  exclaimed :  Oh, 
my  daughter !  thou  hast  stricken  me !  thou,  thou  art  become  my 
ruin!     But    I    have    given    a    solemn    promise    to    Jhvh,    and    cannot 

36  go    back.     She    answered :    My    father,   thou    hast    spoken    a    solemn  25 
word    to    Jhvh  ;     do    to    me    what    thou    hast    vowed,    forasmuch    as 
Jhvh   has  wrought  for  thee  vengeance  on   thy  foes,   the  Ammonites. 

37  And  she  said  to  her  father  :  Let  this  be  done  for  me  :  grant  me  a 
respite  of  two  months,  that  I  may  depart  and  go  down  to  the 
mountains,  and   weep    with   my  companions,   because    of  my  maiden-  2,0 

3S  hood.  And  he  bade  her  go,  and  sent  her  away  for  two  months ; 
so  she    went,    with    her    companions,    and    wept    on    the    mountains, 

39  because  of  her  maidenhood.  And  at  the  end  of  two  months  she 
returned  to  her  father,  and  he  did  to  her  as  he  had  vowed  to 
do ;    and    man    had    never    approached    her.'^       Thus    it    became    a  35 

40  custom  in  Israel  :  yearly  the  Israelitish  maidens  go  to  lament  four 
days   in  the  year  for  the   daughter   of  Jephthah,  the  Gilcadite. 

12 , 1  The  Ephraimites   were  called   out,   and   crossed   to  Zaphon  ;    and 

they    said    to    Jephthah  :     Why    didst    thou    go    over    to    attack    the 
Ammonites,  and    didst    not   summon   us  to   go   with   thee  ?     We  will  40 


25  ^-a*«^«@Si-  ^"^S**  •'i^^S**"*—  12,2-15 

burn  thy  house   over  thy  head.^^     But  Jephthah   replied:    I  and  my  13,2 
people    were   engaged    in    a    contest,  and    the   Ammonites   ^oppressed 
us>    sorely;    and    when    I    called    <to>    you,    ye    did    not    deliver    me 
from    them. 3°     And    when    I    saw    that    ye    were    not    going   to    help  3 
5  me,  I  took   my  life  in   my  hand,  and  passed  over  to  the  Ammonites, 
and  Jhvh   delivered  them  into  my  power.      Why,   therefore,   have  ye 
come   up  against   me   to-day   to   make   war   on   me  ?     Then   Jephthah  4 
assembled   all  the   men   of  Gilead,  and  fought  with   the  Ephraimites; 
and     the     men    of    Gilead     defeated     the     Ephraimites  <>3'   .... 

10  And    the   Gileadites    seized   the  fords   of  the   Jordan   to   intercept  the  5 
Ephraimites  ;  and  when  one  of  the  survivors  of  the  Ephraimites  would 
say :    Let    me    cross,  the    men    of  Gilead  would   ask   him :    Art  thou 
an  Ephraimite  ?     And  if  he  answered  :   No,  they  would  bid  him  say  6 
Shibboleth;   and  if  he  said  Sibboleth,  and  ccould>  not  pronounce 

15  it    as    they    did,  they    took    him,  and    slaughtered    him    at   the   fords 
of  the    Jordan. 3^     And  there  fell  of  Ephraim  at  that  time   forty-two 
thousand.     Jephthah   judged    Israel    six    years ;     then    Jephthah,    the  7 
Gileadite,   died,   and  was  buried  in   <his>  city,   cMizpah>   in   Gilead." 

20     AFTER  him  Ibzan,  of  Beth-lehem,  judged  Israel."      He  had  thirty  s.9 
Ix.  sons,    and    thirty    daughters     whom     he     married    abroad,    and 
thirty  daughters-in-law  whom  he  brought  from  abroad  for  his  sons.^ 
He   judged  Israel    seven    years.     Then    Ibzan    died,   and    was    buried  10 
at  Beth-lehem. 

25  After  him   Elon,  the  Zebulonite,  judged  Israel;   he  judged  Israel  n 

ten    years.      Then    Elon,    the    Zebulonite,    died,    and    was    buried    at  12 
lElons   in  the  land  of  Zebulun.3 

After    him    Abdon    ben-Hillel,    the    Pirathonite,    judged     Israel.  15 
He    had    forty    sons    and    thirty    grandsons,    who     rode     on     seventy  14 

30  asses.      He  judged  Israel  eight   years.*     Then  Abdon   ben-Hillel,  the  15 
Pirathonite,   died,  and   was  buried   at  Pirathon   in  the  <Highlands>  of 
Ephraim,  in  the  <district  of  Shalim>.5 


13,1-14  — «-M3S*@>- ^'''S'*  "*****^** —  ^^ 

^tovicQ  of  ^ameon 

AND    THE    MISCHIEF    HE    DID    'IXJ    THE    PHILISTINES 


13,1  ''  I  "*HE  Israelites  again  offended  Jhvh,  and   He  gave  them  into  the 

2  J.      power    of  the  Philistines    for    forty   years."      Now   there   was   a  5 
certain    man   of  Zorah,   of  the    clan    of  the  Danites,   named  Manoah, 

3  whose  wife  was  barren  and  had  no  child. ^  And  the  Messenger 
of  Jhvh 3  appeared  to  the  woman,  and  said  to  her:  Thou  art 
barren    and    hast   borne    no    child  ;    but    thou   shalt  conceive  and  bear 

4  a  son.      Now,    therefore,    beware,    and    do    not    drink    wine    or    other  10 

5  intoxicating  drink,  and  do  not  eat  anything  unclean.''  For  thou  art 
with  child,  and  wilt  bear  a  son  ;  and  no  razor  shall  touch  his 
head,  for  from  the  womb  the  boy  shall  be  a  religious  votary  ;=  he 
will    make    a    beginning    of    delivering    Israel    from    the    Philistines. 

6  The    woman    came  and    told   her  hu.sband :    A  man   of  God   came  to  15 
me,*  and    his    appearance    was    like    that    of  the    Messenger   of  God. 
very   venerable;    but    I    did    not   ask    him    whence    he    came,   nor  did 

7  he  tell  me  his  name.  And  he  said  to  me :  Thou  art  with  child, 
and  wilt  bear  a  son ;  now,  therefore,  do  not  drink  wine  nor  into.xi- 
cating    drink,   and    do    not   eat  anything   unclean,   for  from  the  womb  20 

8  to  the  day  of  his  death  the  boy  shall  be  a  religious  votar>'.  Then 
Manoah  besought  Jhvh,  and  said :  I  pray  Thee,  O  Lord,  let  the 
man    of  God    whom   Thou    didst    send    come   again  to    us   and   teach 

9  us    what    we    shall    do   to   the  boy  that    is   to   be    born.       And    God 
hearkened    to    the    prayer    of   Manoah,    and    the    Messenger    of   God  25 
came     again     to     the     woman     as     she     was     tarrying     in     the     field 

10  (Manoah  her  husband  was  not  with  her).  And  the  woman  ran 
at  once,   and  told  her  husband,   saying  to   him :    The   man   who  came 

11  to   me    the    other   day  has   appeared   to    me.      So    Manoah    rose,    and 
followed   his  wife  ;    and   when   he    came   to    the   man,    Manoah   said  to  30 
him;    Art   thou    the    man    who   spoke  to  the  woman?    He  answered: 

12  I  am.  Then  Manoah  said:  Now,  when  that  which  thou  do.st  foretell 
comes    true,   what   shall    be    the    nde    for    the   boy   and    his    mode  of 

13  life.      And    the    Messenger    of  Jhvh     replied    to    Manoah:      Let    the 

14  woman   avoid    all    that    I   bade    her;    she   must   not   eat   any  product  35 
of  the  vine,  and  let  her  not    drink    wine  or  other  intoxicating  drink, 


27  —^^^s^m;^ ^ub^te  ^18S^*<^-  13,15-14,5 

nor  eat  anything  unclean ;  every  thing  that  I  commanded  her  she  13 
must  observe.  And  Manoah  said  to  the  Messenger  of  Jhvh  :  Let  us  15 
press  thee  to  stay,  and  let  us  prepare  thee  a  kid7  But  the  Mes-  16 
senger    of  Jhvh    answered    Manoah :     Though  thou  press   me,    I  will 

5  not    eat    of  thy  food ;    but  if  thou    wilt   make    a   burnt-offering,  thou 
must    offer    it    to   Jhvh.  []     And    Manoah    said    to   the    Messenger  of  17 
Jhvh  :    What  is  thy  name?  that  if  thy  prediction  come  true  we  may 
honor  thee.<['']i     The    Messenger  of  Jhvh   answered  him:    Why  dost  18 
thou    inquire    mj-  name,  seeing   it   is   ineffable?'     So   Manoah  took  a  19 

10  kid,  /7//i/  tlic  cereal  offering,  and  offered  it  as  a  burnt-offering  on  the 
rock   to  Jhvh,  <the>  Wonder  Worker  ".9     When   the   flame    ascended  20 
heavenward  from   the   altar,  the  Messenger  of  Jhvh  ascended  in  the 
flame  of  the  altar,  while  Manoah  and  his  wife  were  looking  on ;  and 
they  fell  on  their  faces  to  the  earth. '°     And  the  Messenger  of  Jhv)i  21 

15  appeared    no    more    to   Manoah    and    his    wife.     Then   Manoah  knew 
that    it    was    the    Messenger    of    Jhvh.       And    Manoah    said    to    his  22 
wife :    We    shall    certainly    die,   for    we    have    seen    a    god."      But    his  23 
wife    said    to    him:    If  Jhvh    had    meant    to    kill    us.    He    would  not 
have   received   at   our   hands  a  burnt-offering  aiid  a  cereal  offering, 

20  and    would    not    have    shown    us    all    these    things,    and    would    not 
now  have  announced  to  us  such  a  thing."    And  the  woman  bore  a  24 
son,    and    named    him    Samson;    and    the    boy    grew    up,    and    Jhvh 
blessed  him.     And  the  spirit  of  Jhvh  began  to  stir  him  at  Mahaneh-  25 
Dan,  between  Zorah  and  Eshtaol.^^ 


^ameon'e  QTlamage  anb  w%a.i  foffon)c5. 

SAMSON  went  down    to  Timnath,'  and    saw    there    a    woman   of  14,1 
the  Philistines.     When    he    went    home    he    told    his    father  and  2 
his    mother :    I  have    seen    at  Timnath    a  woman    of  the   Philistines ; 
now,   therefore,   get   her  for  me  to  be  my  wife.      But  his  father  and  3 

30  his    mother   remonstrated  witli   him  ;    Is    there    not    a   woman    among 
the  daughters  of  thy  kinsmen,  or  in  all  m\-  people,^  that  thou  must  go 
and  take  a  wife  among  those  uncircumcised  Philistines? 3    But  Samson 
answered  his  father :  Get  this  woman  for  me ;   she  pleases  me.      His  4 
father  and  mother  did  not  know  that  this  ♦stirring+  was  from  Jhvh, 

35    because    He   was    seeking    a   grievance   against  the    Philistines.''     (At 
that  time  the  Philistines  ruled  over  Israel.)     So  Samson  went  down,  5 

13,  16  -for  Manoah  did  not  know  that  he  was  the  Messenger  of  Jhvh 


I4,6-i8  — ^•Hm^Sf  ^uiiie -iim^^t—  28 

14  wti/t  his  father  and  mother,''  to  Timnath ;    and  when  they  came  to 
the  vineyards   of  Timnath,  a   fierce   youni,'   lion  came  roaring  toward 

6  him.  And  the  spirit  of  Jhvh  came  mightily  upon  him,*"  and  he  tore 
the  lion  asunder  as  a  man  tears  a  kid  ;  he  had  nothing  whatever 
in   his  hantls.     Bid  he  did  not  tell  his  father  and  mother  tvhat  he  5 

7  had  doneJ     Then    he   went    down,  and    talked    to    the    woman,  and 

8  she  was  pleasing  to  Samson.  When  he  returned,  after  a  time,  to 
marrv   hcr,^    he   turned   aside    to    see    the    carcass    of  the    lion,  and 

9  found  a  swarm  of  bees  in   the  body  of  the   lion,  and    hone)-.     And 
he    scraped    out    the    honey    into    his  hands,   and  went  on,  eating  as  10 
he  went,   and    came    to    his    father    and    mother,    and    ga\e    some    to 
them,  and  they  ate  ;    but  he  did   not  tell  them  that   he  had  scraped 

10  the  honey  from  the  body  of  the  lion.'  And  his  father''"  went  down 
to  the  woman ;    and  Samson  gave  a  feast    there,  for  so  bridegrooms 

11  used   to   do.     And  when   they  saiv  him,  they  took  thirty  comrades,  15 

12  and  they  were  with  him."  And  Samson  said  to  them  :  I  will 
propound  to  you  a  riddle  ;  if  ye  can  tell  me  what  it  is,  during  the 
seven    days   that   the   feast   lasts,   and  find  it  oiit,'^   I    will    give  you 

13  thirty  fine  robes  and  thirty  festival  dresses.  And  if  ye  cannot  tell 
me,    then    ye    shall    give    me    thirty    fine    robes    and    thirty    festival  20 

14  dresses.     They  answered;   Propound  your  riddle,  let  us  hear  it!     He 

said : 

Out  of  the  eater  came  somethin.a;  to  eat, 
And  out  of  tlie  strong  came  something  sweet. 

15  And    they   were   not    able    to    guess    the    riddle  for  ^six^  days,-'^    so  25 
on   the   sezrn/h    dav    they    said   to   Samson's    wife :    Cozen    thy   hus- 
banti,   and    make    him    tell    us    the    riddle,  or  we  will  burn  thee  and 

16  thy    family.      Didst    thou    invite    us  <hither>  to    impo\erish    us  ?     So 
Samson's  wife  hung  on  him  with  tears,  and  said:    Thou  onl}-  hatest 
me,    and    dost    not    lo\-e    me    at    all.     Thou    hast    gi\en    a    riddle    to  30 
my    countrj-men,  and    hast    not    explained    it    to  me.      He  answered : 
Lo,   I    have   not   told   even   my  father  and    mother,  and    shall    I    tell 

17  thee?  Rut  she  hung  on  him  weeping  the  seven  days  that  they 
kept    the    feast ;    and    on    the    seventh   day   he  told  her,  because  she 

iS  so  beset  him  ;    and  she  told  the  riddle  to  her  countrymen.  On  the  35 

seventh    da\',  before    he    entered    the  tbridal   chamben,'"  the  men  of 

the  town  said  to  him:    What   is   sweeter  than  honey?    and  what  is 
stronger  than  a  lion?      He  replied: 

If  with  my  heifer  ye  did  not  plous;h. 

Ye  had  not  found  out  my  riddle,  •!  trovv.  40 


29  — .*^^i>  ^"^S''' •*^*****°^~~  i4>  19-15. 14 

Then    the    spirit    of  Jhvh    came    mightily    upon    him,    and    he    went  14,19 
down    to  Ashkelon,  and    killed  thirty  of  them,  and  took  their  .spoil, 
and    gave    the    festival    dresses    to    those    who    had    found    out    the 
riddle.'s     And    he    was    very    angry,    and    went    awa\'    to    his    home. 
5  But    Samson's    bride    was    given    to   the    comrade    who  had  been  his  20 
bridal  companion.'* 

After    a    time,   at    the    season   of  wheat  harvest, '^  Samson    went  15 ,  i 
to  visit    his  wife,  taking  with    him    a    kid.      But  when   he  was  about  2 
to    go    into    the    inner    apartment    to    his    wife    her    father    said    to 

10  him :     I    thought    that    thou     must    certainly    hate    her,    so    I    gave 
her  to  th\'   friend ;    but    her    younger    sister    is    more    beautiful    than 
she;    take  her  instead.      Then  Samson  said  to   them:    In  this  case  I  3 
shall    not    be    to    blame    if    I    do    the    Philistines    an    injury.'^      So  4 
Samson  went   and   caught   three   hundred   foxes,''  and   took    torches, 

15  and    turned    the    foxes    tail    to    tail,    and    fastened    a    torch    between 
every  pair  of  tails,  and  set  fire  to  the  torches,  and  turned  the  foxes  5 
loose    among    the    Philistines'   standing    grain,    and    burned    both    the 
shocks  and  the  standing  grain,  and  the  vineyards  <and'  olive  trees. 
When  the   Philistines  inquired  :    Who  has  done  this  ?  they  were  6 

20  told  :    Samson,   the  Timnathite's    son-in-law ;    because    the  Timnathite 
took   Samson's    wife,    and    ga\e    her    to    Samson's    friend.      Then   the 
Philistines  went  up,  and  burned   her  and  her  father'<s   family^.      And  7 
Samson  said  to  them  :   Since  ye  act  thus,   I  swear  I  will  be  avenged 
on   you ;    and    after   that,    I    will    leave   off.      So    he    smote   them,   hip  8 

25  and    thigh, '°  with    great   slaughter;    and   went    down,   and    stayed    in 
the    cleft    of  the    Cliff  Etam.^'     Then    the    Philistines   came    up,  and  9 
encamped    in  Judah,   and    made  a  raid    upon   Lehi."     And  when  the  10 
people    of  Judah    asked    them  :    W'hy   have   ye  come  up  against  us  ? 
they  said  :    We  have   come   to  make  Samson  prisoner,  to  do  to  him 

30  as  he  has  done  to  us.     So    three   thousand    men  out  of  Judah  went  11 
down    to    the    cleft    of  the    Cliff  Etam,   and    said    to    Samson :    Dost 
thou  not  know  that  the  Philistines   rule  over  us  ?    What  is  this  that 
thou    hast    done    to    us  ?     He    replied :    As    they    did    to   me   I    have 
done    to    them.      Then    they    told     him  :     We    have    come    down    to  12 

35  make    thee    prisoner,   and    deliver   thee  to  the   Philistines  ;    and  Sam- 
son   said  :    Swear    to    me    that    ye   yourselves  will   not  fall   upon  me. 
They  said  :    No  ;    but  we  will  bind  thee,  and  deliver   thee    to  them  ;  13 
we   will    not   put   thee  to  death.      So  they  bound  him   with  two  new 
ropes,   and  brought  him   up  from  the    Cliff      Now   when    he    reached  14 

40  Lehi   the    Philistines   came    to    meet    him   with    loud   shouts,  and  the 
spirit    of  Jhvh    came    mightily    upon    him,   and  the    ropes   that  were 


15,15-16,7  — s-i'ts^msi- ^ui^ee  ■ii^^H'»—  30 

15  on    his    arms    became    like    flax    that    has    caught    fire ;     his    bonds 

15  melted  from  off  his  hands/3  And  he  found  the  fresh  jaw-bone  of 
an    ass.^"  and   reached  out,   and    picked    it    up,  and    killed    with    it    a 

16  thousand  men.      Then  Samson  said  : 

With  the  jaw-bone  of  an  ass  5 

I  assailed  my  assailants^ ;  ^5 
With  the  jawbone  of  an  ass 

Have  I  slain  a  thousand  men. 

17  After   he    had   said   this,   he  threw  away  the  jaw-bone  which  he  had 

iS  in   his  hand  ;   thus  the  place  came  to  be  called   Ramath-lehi.=''     And  10 
he    was    very    thirsty,   and    called    to    Jhvh  :    Thuu    hast    given    Thy 
ser\ant    this    great    victory,   and    shall    I    now    die    of  thirst,  and  fall 

19  into  the  hands  of  the  uncircumcised  ?  Then  God  cleft  The  Mortar 
which  is  in  Lehi,  and  water  flowed  from  it ;  and  he  drank,  and  his 
spirits    revived.      (Hence    the    spring,   which    is    in    Lehi    to   this    da)',  15 

20  got  the  name  En-hakkore.)  ♦Samson*  judged  Israel  in  the  days  of 
the  Philistines  for  twenty  years.'''' 


^ameon  camca  off  <6e  (Batce  of  &a^a. 

16, 1.  ^T^  HENCE-  San 
2      A       and    went    in 


HENCE'  Samson  went  down  to  Gaza,'  and  saw  there  a  harlot, 

to    her.       When    the     Gazeans   -were     told-  that  20 
Samson    was    come    thither,  //ley  went  about,   and   lay  in  wait  for 
him  all  niglit  at  the  gate  of  the  city,"  and  they  kept  still  all  night, 

3  saying  :  <Let  us  wait>  till  the  morning  light,  and  then  kill  him.      But 
Samson    lay  till   midnight ;    and   at    midnight   he   rose,  and    laid  hold 
of  the    doors    of  the    city  gate    and    the   two  gate-posts,  and  pulled  25 
them   up,   bar  and    all,   and    put   them    on    his    shoulders,   and   carried 
them   up  to  the  top  of  the   hill   which   is  in  front  of  Hebron. ^ 

4  A  FTER  this,   Samson  fell  in  love  with  a  woman  in  the  Valley  of 

5  IX.  Sorek,'    whose    name    was    Delilah.      And    the    princes    of  the  30 
Philistines    came   to    her,  and    said :    Cozen    him,   and    find   out   what 
makes  his  strength  so  great,  and    how   we    can   cope  with    him,  and 
bind  him,  to  overpower  him;''    and  we,   on   our  part,   will  each  give 

6  thee    eleven    hundred    shekels   of  silver.     So  Delilah   asked  Samson : 
Tell    me,   I   pray    thee,   what   makes   thy  strength  so  great,  and  how  35 

7  couldst   thou   be   bound   to    overpower   thee?     Samson   answered:    If 
men    should    bind    me    with    seven    new    bowstrings    which   have  not 


a     ^ 


31  ^»*e#ea»- 3it93«6 -JSBiSa**—  16,8-19 

been  dried, 3  my  strength  would  leave  me,  and  I  should  be  like  any  16 
other    man.     Then    the   princes   of  the  Philistines  brought  her   seven  8 
new  bowstrings  which  had  not  been  dried,  and  she  bound  him  with 
them.      She  had  the  men  waiting  in  concealment  in  the  inner  apart-  9 
5  ment.      Then  she  said  to  him  :    The  Philistines  are  upon  thee,   Sam- 
son !     But    he    snapped    the    bowstrings    as  a  strand  of  tow  snaps  at 
the    breath    of  fire;''    so    the    secret    of    his    strength    was    not    dis- 
covered.    Thereupon  Delilah  said  to  Samson :   Lo,  thou  hast  cheated  10 
me,     and     told     me     falsehoods ;     now     tell     me     wherewith     thou  11 

10  canst     be    bound.       He     answered  :     If    men    should    bind    me    fast 
with  new   ropes    wherewith    no    work    has    been    done,^  my    strength 
would   leave   me,  and  I   should  be  like  any  other  man.      So   Delilah  12 
took  new  ropes,   and  bound  him  with  them  ;  and  said  to  him  :    The 
Philistines    are    upon    thee,    Samson  !     (Now    the   men   were  lying  in 

15  wait  in  the   inner   apartment.)     But    he   snapped    the    ropes    off  from 
his  arms   like  thread.     Then   Delilah  said  to  Samson  :   Hitherto  thou  13 
hast    cheated    me,  and   told   me  falsehoods  ;    tell  me  wherewith  thou 
canst  be  bound.      And  he  said   to   her  :    If  thou  shouldst  weave  the 
seven    braids    of   my    hair    into    the    web,^  <and    beat    it  up  with    the 

20  pin,   my  strength  would    leave    me,   and   I  should   be    like   any  other 
man.     So    while    he    was    asleep    Delilah    took    the    se\'en    braids   of  14 
his    hair,  and    wove    them    into    the    web>,  and    beat    it    up  with    the 
pin.     Then  she  said  to  him  :  The  Philistines  are  upon  thee,  Samson ! 
And    he    started    from    his    sleep,  and   pulled    up  "the   loom  with   the 

25  web.     Then    she    said    to    him :    How  canst  thou  say :    I    love    thee,  15 
when    thou    dost    not    confide    in    me?    Three    times    now   thou  hast 
cheated    me,    and    hast    not    told    me    what    makes    thy    strength    so 
great.      And  as  she  beset  him  every  day  with   her  importunities,  and  16 
pressed   him    hard,   he   grew   tired   to   death    of  it,'  and   told    her  his  17 

30  whole  secret ;    and   said   to    her :    A  razor    has    never  come  near  my 
head,    for    from    my    birth   I   have    been  a    religious    votary;^    if  +my 
head*  were  shaved,  my  strength  would  depart  from  me,  and  I  should 
become  weak,  and  like  the  rest  of  men.     When   Delilah  saw  that  he  18 
had   told   her   his  whole   secret,   she   sent  a  message,  and  summoned 

35  the  princes  of  the   Philistines,  saying  :    Come,  this  once  ;    for  he  has 
told  omea  his  whole  secret.     So  the  princes  of  the  Philistines  came  to 
her,  bringing  the  money  with  them.     And  she  put  Samson  to  sleep  19 
in    her    lap,   and    called    a    man   <who>  shaved    off  the    seven    braids 


16,  14  "the  pin 


16,20-31  — »*e^t€8s- 3«*3*' ^®*^*' —  32 

16  of  his  hail';  and    he-   began  to  'be  brought  under-,  and  his  strength 

20  departed  from  him.  Then  she  said  :  The  Philistines  are  upon  thee, 
Samson  !  and  he  awoke  from  his  sleep,  and  said  to  himself:  I 
shall  get  off  as  I  have  done  time  and  time  again,  and  shake  myself 
free;    for    he    did    not    know    that    Jiivii     had    departed    from     him. 9  5 

21  Then  the  Philistines  seized  him,  and  bored  out  his  eyes,  and  took 
him    down    to  Gaza,  and    made   him   fast  with   shackles,  and  he  was 

22  set  to  turning  the  mill  in  the  prison.'"  But  his  hair  began  to  grow 
again  after  it  had  been  shaved  off" 

23  The    princes    of  the  Philistines    came    together  at  Gaza  to  offer  10 
a  great  .sacrifice  to    their    god  Dagon,"  and    to    hold    festivities ;    for 
they  said  :    Our  god  has  given  our  enemy,   Samson,  into  our  power. 

24  And  when  the  people  saw  him,  they  set  up  a  shout  in  honor  of 
their    god;    for   they   said:    Our   god    has    given   into   our  power  our 

25  enemy,    who    devastated    our    fields,    and    slew    many    of   us. '3     And  15 
when    they  were    in    high    spirits,  they    commanded :     Call    Samson, 
that    he    may   make   sport   for  us.     So  they  called  Samson  from  the 
prison,    and    he    made    sport    before    them.       And    they    placed    him 

26  between  the  columns.'''  Then  Samson  said  to  the  attendant  who 
led    him    b}'  the   hand  :    Place    me  where   I    can   feel    the   columns   by  20 

27  which  the  house  is  supported,  that  I  may  lean  against  them.  Now 
the  house  was  full  of  the  men  and  \\  omen ;  and  all  the  princes  of 
the  Philistines  ivere  there;  while  on  the  roof  icere  about  three 
thousand  men  and  women,  who  were  looking  on  while  Samson  made 

2S  sport.      Then    Samson    prayed    to    Jhvh  :    O    Lord    Jhvh,    remember  25 
me,   I  beseech    Thee,   and  give   me  strength    only  this  once,  O  God, 
that    I    may    avenge    myself   on    the    Philistines    for   one    of   my    two 

29  eyes. '5  Then  Samson  grasped  the  two  middle  columns  by  which 
the  house  was  supported,  and  leaned  his  weight  upon  them,  one  with 

30  his  right  hand  and  the  other  with  his  left.     And  Samson  said  :    Let  30 
me    die   with    the    Philistines.     Then    he    bowed  with    all    his   might, 
and   the    house    fell    on    the  princes  and  on  all  the  people  that  were 

in  it ;    so   that    those  whom   he   killed   at   his   death   were  more   than 

31  those    whom    he    had    killed    during    his    life.      His    brothers    and    all 
his    father's  family  came  down,   and   took  him  up,  and  went  up,   and  35 
buried    him  between    Zorah  and    Eshtaol,   in  the   tomb    of  his  father 
Manoah.     He  had  judged  Israel  twent)'  years. 


— »*e«e@Ss-  ^ub^ee  -siJiSlea**- —  17  ,  i  -18 ,  2 

<S55tfionaf  ^torice  of  f^^  ^tmee  of  t^c  ^uba^ce 


Qlltca^'e  iiofe;  Qlltgvation  of  tU  ©onttea. 

THERE  was  a  man   in   the   Highlands    of   Ephraim    wliose  name  17,1 
was    Micah.'      He    .said    to    his    mother:''    The    eleven    hundred  2"' 
5  shekels    of  silver    which    were    taken     from    thee,    and    about    which 
thou    didst  make  a  solemn  declaration,  sa)'ing  before  me  :   I  sacredly  3''^ 
consecrate    the    silver    to    Jhvh,   from    my    hand  <alone>,   to    make    a 
carved    a//d  a    molten    image, ^  —  this    silver    is    in    my  possession  ;    I  2-"^ 
took    it  ;    but    now    I    will   restore  it  to  thee.      And  his    mother  said  :  3'"^  2' 

lu  Blessed  b}'  Jhvh  is  my  son!''    cj  Thereupon  he  restored  the  silver  to  4 
his  mother,  who  took  two  hundred  shekels  of  silver,  and  gave  them 
to  a  silversmith,   \\\\o  made  a  carved  and  a   molten   image  ;  5    and   it 
was    in    Micah's    house.      Now    the  man   Micah  had  a  small  temple,"  5 
and    made    an    Ephod    and    Teraphim,'    and    consecrated    one    of   his 

15  sons,   who  became  his  priest.      (In  those   days   there  was  no  king   in  6 
Israel ;     every    man    did    as    he    pleased.)*     And    there   was    a   youth  7 
from  Beth-lehem  in  Judah,  of  the  clan  of  Judah  ;   he  was  a  Levite, 
residing    there.'     And    the  man    left  the  cit}-,   Beth-lehem  in  Judah, '°  8 
to  sojourn   in   whatever   place  he   might    chance    upon,    and    came,    in 

20  the  course  of  his  journey,  to  the   Highlands  of  Ephraim,  to   Micah's 
home.     And  Micah  asked  him :    Whence  comest  thou  ?   He  answered :  9 
I    am    a    Levite    from    Beth-lehem    in    Judah,    and    am    traveling    to 
sojourn  in   whatever  place    I    ma}'    chance    upon.      Then    Micah    said  10 
to  him:    Stay  with  me;    be   my   father   and   priest,"  and   I  will    give 

25  thee   ten    shekels  of  silver    a    year    and    a    suit    of  apparel,  and    thy 
victuals.     oAnd  the   Levite    agreed   to    stay   with    the    man  ;    and    the  1 1 
youth    was   treated  by  him  as  though  he  had  been  one   of  hjs   own 
sons.      And  Micah    consecrated   the  Levite,"  and    the    youth  became  12 
his   priest,   and    lived    in    Micah's    house.     Then   Micah  said :    Now   I  13 

30  know    that    Jhvh    will    prosper    me,    because    I    have    a    Levite    for 

priest. '3     (In  those  days  there  was  no  king  in   Israel.)'*  18,  t'' 

And    in    those    days    the    tribe    of   the   Danites    was    seeking  for  i'' 
themselves   a   landed    possession    to    dwell    in  ;  for   up    to   tJiat   time 
there   had  not  fallen    to   them   a  possession   among   the   tribes   of  1 

35  Israel}^     So    the    Danites    sent,    of    their    several    clans,    five    men,  2 
representing  all  their  branches,  valiant  men,  from  Zorah  and  Eshtaol, 


i8 , 3  -  1 7  — »*^esB=-  3«*3«6  ^s®»SsH-<—  34 

i8  to  explore  the  land  and  examine  it,  bidding  them :  Go,  examine 
the     land.'*      And     they     came     to     the    Highlands    of    Mphraim,    to 

3  Micah's    home,  and    stayed    there    over    night.     When    they  were    in 
the   neighborhood    of   Micah's    house,  they    recognized    the  voice    of 
the    young    Levite ;    so    they    turned    aside    thither,  and    asked    him  :  5 
Who    brought   thee   here  ?    and   what    art    thou  doing    in   this  place  ? 

4  and    what    art    thou    here    for?    He   replied:    Thus   and   so   Micah  has 

5  done    to    me;    and  he    hired    me,  and  I  became    his    priest."'     Then 
they  said    to    him  :    Inquire  of  God,   that  we  may   know   whether  the 

6  errand    on    which    we    are    going   <will    be>    successful.       The    priest  10 
answered    them :     Go,    and    prosper,    the    errand    on    which    ye    are 

7  going   is  under   the   eye  of  Jhvh.'*     So   the   five   men  went   on,  and 
came    to  Laish,  and    they    found    the    people  who    wore    in    the    city 
living  after    the   Phcenician    fashion   without    fear,''  secure   and  unsus- 
picious of  danger.     There  was   no   4ack  of  anything  which  the   land  15 
produced',      .      .      .      and  they  were  remote  from  the   Phienicians,  and 

S  had  nothing  to  do  with  any  one  else.     Then  the  explorers  returned 

to   their   kinsmen,  to  Zorah  and   Eshtaol ;  ^°  and  when  their  kinsmen 

9  asked :   What    do    ye  creport^?   they  answered :    Arise,    let    us   march 

against  them  ;  for  we  have  seen  the  land,  and  it  is  very  good.  .  .  20 
10  Do  not  delay  to  set  out  to  enter  and  possess  the  land.  When  ye 
reach  it,  ye  will  come  to  a  people  unsuspicious  of  danger,  and  the 
region  is  of  wide  extent ;  God  has  given  it  into  your  power,  a 
place  wherein  there  is  no  lack  of  anything  which  the  land  produces, 
ir  Accordingly    there    removed  thence  o/"  the  clan   of  the   Danites,  25 

12  from  Zorah  and  Eshtaol,  six  hundred  men  under  arms."  And  they 
went  up,  and  encamped  at  Kirjath-jearim  in  Judah  -,  from  this  cir- 
cumstance   the     place    received    tlie    name    Mahaneh-Dan,    which    it 

13  bears  to  this  day;  it  lies  west  of  Kirjath-jearivi.''^  Thence  they 
passed    on    to     the    Highlands     of    Ephraim,    and    came    to    Micah's  30 

14  home.  And  the  five  men  who  had  gone  to  explore  the  land' 
spoke  up,  and  said  to  their  kinsmen  :  Do  ye  know  that  in  these 
houses     there    is    an    Ephod    and    Teraphim,    and   a    carved   and  a 

15  molten  iniagcl  Now  think  what  ye  will  do.  And  they  turned 
aside    thither,    and    came    to    the    house    of    the    young    Levite    {to  35 

16  MicaJis  house),  and  gave  him  a  friendly  greeting. ^3  And  the-  si.x 
hundred    men    under    arms    stationed    themselves   at    the   entrance  of 

17  the  gate.'*     But    the    five    men  who    had    gone    to    explore  the  land 

18,  14  " Laish 


35  -^■ttsms^ ^ui^ce -msfisH,—  i8,  1S-31 

went    up,    went    in    there,  took    the    carved    image,  and    the    Ephod,  18 
and    the    Teraphim,    and    the    molten    image; — now    the    priest    was 
standing    at    the    entrance    of  the    g^ate,    and    the    six    hundred    men 
under    arms.      And    these    came    to    Micah's    house,  and    took    //le  iS 
5  carved  image,   and  the   Ephod,   and  tlie  Teraphim,  and  the  molten 
image.     And  when  the  priest   said    to  them:    What  are  ye  doing? -5 
they    rephed  :    Keep    still  !    put    thy    hand    over    thy    mouth,   and    go  19 
with    us,    and    be    our    father    and    priest. ""^       Is    it     better    for    thee 
to    be   priest   to    one   man's    household,    or    priest    to    a    tribe    and    a 

10  clan    in   Israel  ?     The   priest  was    pleased,   and   took    the   Ephod,  and  20 
the    Teraphim,    and   the    carved   image,  and    placed    himself   in    the 
midst  of  the  men.      Then    they  turned,   and    marched   away,   putting  21 
the    children    and    the    cattle    and    their    property  in    front    of  them. 
When    they  were    at    some    distance    from    Micah's    house,   the    men  22 

15  who    lived    in   the    houses    near    Micah's    were    called    out,   and    pur- 
sued    the     Danites.       They    shouted    to    the     Danites,    who    turned  23 
their  face,   and  said    to    Micah :   What    is   the  matter   with   thee,  that 
thou  art  called   out  ?      He  answered :  Ye  take  my  gods  that  I  made,  24 
and  my  priest,  and  go  off;    what  have   I   left  ?     What    do    ye    mean 

20  by  asking :    What  is  the  matter  with  thee  ?     The  Danites  answered :  25 
Let    not    thy  voice    be    heard    among    us,    lest    some    savage    fellows 
fall    upon    thee,    and    thou    sacrifice    thine    own    life    and    the     lives 
of  thy    household. °7     Then  the   Danites  continued   their  march ;    and  26 
Micah,   seeing  that  they  were  too  strong    for    him,   turned   and  went 

25  back     to    his     home.       But    they    took    tthe    idob  which    Micah    had  27 
made,   and    the  priest    whom   he  had,    and  came   to    Laish,''*  upon    a 
people  secure  and    unsuspicious    of  danger,    and    slew    them   without 
quarter,   and  burned  the  town  itself     There   was    no   one   to   save  it,  2.S 
for   it   was   remote  from  the  Phcenicians,  and   had    no    relations    with 

30  any  one  else;  it  lay  in  the  plain  belonging  to  Beth-rehob.     And  they 
rebuilt    the  city,   and  dwelt    in  it,   calling   it  Dan,   the  name  of  their  29 
ancestor  zvlio  was  born  to  Israel ;'"'   but  the  original  name  of  the 
city  ivas  Laish.      The  Danites  set  up  for  themselves  the  idol;^°  and  30 
Jonathan,   the   son    of  <Moses'>  son    Gershom,^'    and    his   descendants 

35  were    priests  to  the  tribe  of  Dan  till   the  depopulation  of  the  land.^" 
And    they    put    in    place    Micah's    idol    which    he    had  made,   and  it  31 
continued  there  as   long  as  the  house  of  God  was  at  Shiloh.33 


19 . 1  - 16  —^i^^m:-  JuSgce  -ij***^-*-!—  36 

Zt)t  Outrage  at  <Bt6ca6 

and  the  Vengeance  of  the  Israelites  on  the  Tribe  of  Benjamin. 

19,1    T  \    those   days,   when   there  was   no   king   in    Israel,'   there   resided 
JL    in    the    remote    parts    of    the    Highlands    of    Ephraim^    a    Levite 

2  who    took    liini    a    concubine    from    Beth-lehem    in   Judah.      And   his  5 
concubine  <fell   out-  with   liim,   and   left   him,   and  went  to   her  father's 

3  house,  in  Beth-lehem  in  Judah;  and  was  there  o  four  months.  Then 
her  husband  followed  her,  to  speak  affectionately  to  her,3  and  bring 
rhero  back;  having  with  him  his  servant  and  a  pair  of  asses ;  and  <he 
came>  to    her   father's    house.      When    the    girl's    father   saw    him,    he  10 

4  came  to  meet  him,  rejoicing.  And  his  father-in-law,  the  girl's 
fither,^  detained   him,   and   he   stayed   with   him   three   days ;   they  ate 

5  and  drank,  and  lodged  there.  On  the  fourth  day,  when  tliej-  rose 
in  the  morning,  he  was  about  to  set  out,^  but  the  girl's  father 
said   to   his   son-in-law :    Stay  thy  stomach   with    a  bit   of  bread,   and  15 

6  after  that  thou  mayst  go.  So  the  two  sat  and  ate  together,  and 
tlrank ;    and   the    girl's    fitther   said   to    the    man :    Be   persuaded,   now, 

7  and  pass  the  night,  and  be  merry.  And  when  the  man  rose  to  go, 
his    father-in-law   urged    him,   and    he  passed    the  night    there    again. 

8  And    when    he   got    up    in  the    morning   o//    tlie  fifth    dav  to   go,   the  20 
girl's    father    said    to    him:    Stay   thy   stomach;    so  dhey   tarried^  till 

9  the  decline  of  day,  and  ate  together.  And  when  the  man  rose 
to  go,  with  his  concubine  and  his  servant,  his  father-in-law,  the 
girl's  father,  said  to  him:  See,  the  day  -is  declined  toward  evening; 
pass    the    night    here    to-day    also>,    and    be    merry;    then    ye    may  25 

10  rise  in  the  morning  for  your  journ'ey  and  go  to  thy  home.*  ]-5ut 
the  man  refused  to  pass  the  night,  and  rose,  and  set  out,'  and 
came  to  a  point  opposite  Jebus*  (that   is,   Jerusalem);  having  a  pair 

11  of  saddled    asses,   and    his    concubine    with    him.      When    the\-    were 
near    Jebus,    and     the    day    was    far    spent,    the    sen'ant    said    to    his  yy 
master:    Come,    let   us   turn   aside   to   this   town   of  the   Jebusites,   and 

12  pass  the  night  in  it.  But  his  master  replied:  We  will  not  turn 
aside    to    a    city    of    aliens,  cwho)  arc    no    Israelites ;'    rvc    iviJI   keep 

13  on    to    Gibeah.      And    he    said    to    his    servant :     Let    us    draw    up 

to     one     of    these    places    and    pass    the    night    in     Gibeah     or    in  35 

14  Ramah.'°  So  tlie\-  continued  their  waj-,  and  the  sun  went  down 
on    them    as    they    were    beside    Gibeah,   which   belongs   to    Benjamin. 

15  There  thex-  turned  aside  to  enter  and  pass  the  night  in  Gibeah; 
and    he   entered,    and    sat    down    in    the    market    place    of   the    town ; 

16  but    no    one    invited    them  into  his  house    to  lodge.'"      Just    then  an  40 


37  ^»*e®g®Si- 3uJigc0 -sS33|ss*<—  19,17-30 

old   man    was  coming   home   at  evening  from   his  work  in  the  fields.  19 
Noiv  this  old  man  ivas  from  the  Highlands  of  Ephraim,  and  zcas 
only  sojourning   in   Gibcah,   zvhercas   the   inhabitants  of  the   place 
were  Bcnjamitcs."      And   when    he    looked    he   saw   the   traveler   in  17 

5  the    market    place    of  the    town ;     and    the    old    man    said :    Whither 
goest    thou,    and    whence    comest    thou  ?       He    answered :    We    are  18 
passing  through   from   Beth-lehem   in   Judah   to   the    distant  parts   of 
the   Highlands  of  Ephraim.      I   came  thence,  and  went  to  Beth-lehem 
in  Judah,   and  am   now   returning  -to   my  home>,  and  no   one  invites 

10  us   into   his   house.      We    have   here    both   chopped    straw   and    grain  19 
for    the    asses,    and    bread  and    \\ine    for    me    and    thy    maid-servant 
and   the   boy  who  is   with   thy  servants ;    we    need    nothing.'^     Then  20 
the    old    man    said :    Welcome !      Let    all    that    thou    needest    be    my 
charge;  only  do  not   pass   the   night   in   the    market   place.""     So    he  21 

15  took    them    into    his    house,    and    mi.xed    feed    for    their    asses,    and 
washed  their  feet;  and  they  ate  and  drank.''     But  while  they  were  22 
feasting    merrily,    the    men    of    the    town,    vile    scoundrels,    gathered 
about    the    house,    beating    on    the   door,    and  bidding   the   old   man, 
the    master   of  the    house:    Bring   out   the   man    who    has   come   into 

20  thy    house,    that    we    may    know    him.'*     The   master    of  the    house  23 
went  out  to  them,   and  said:    Nay,  my  brethren,  be  not    so  \\'icked; 
since  this  man  has  come  under  ni)'  roof,  do  not  commit  this  wanton 
deed.       Here    are    my    virgin    daughter    and    his    concubine ;    let    me  24 
bring  them  out,  and  ye  may  ravish  them,   and  do   with  them   what- 

25  ever  ye  please;  but  to  this   man   do  not  do  this   wanton   deed.      But  25 
the   men   would    not   listen   to   him.      Then   the   man    laid    hold   of  his 
concubine,   and   thrust   her  out   to   them   into  the   street;''    and   they 
knew   her  and    abused    her   all   night   till    morning;     and    let   her   go 
only  at   the   approach   of  dawn.      As   the   morning  began   to  appear,  26 

30  the   woman    came   and    lay   at   the   door   of  the   man's   house   where 
her    lord    was,     till    daylight.       And    when    her    lord    rose    in     the  27 
morning,    and    opened    the    door    of    the    house,    and    went    out    to 
continue  his  journey,   there   was   the   woman,    his   concubine,    lying  at 
the   door   of   the    house,    with    her   hands    on   the    sill.      And    he    said  28 

35  to   her :    Get   up ;    let  us  go !    but   there   came  no  answer.     Then    the 
man    put    lier    *body   upon    the    ass,    and    set    out    to    return    to    liis 
home.      And   when   he  came  to  his   house,  he  took  a  knife,  and   laid  29 
hold   of   his    concubine,   and   cut   her   up,   joint  by  joint,   into   twelve 
pieces,'*  and  sent  them   throughout  all    the   borders   of   Israel.    <And  30 

40  he   commanded   the  men  whom    he  sent   out  :    Thus  shall   )'e   say  to 
all  the   men   of  Israel  :    Did  ever  a  thing  like  this   happen,  from  the 


20.I-I5  —i-i'^^^»- ^ui^ee -s^^m^^^ —  38 

19  time  that  tlu-  Israelites  came  up  from  I\L^>'pt  to  this  day-?  i[Take 
<counsel-  about  it!  Speak  your  mind  !]>  And  every  one  who  saw- 
it  said:  Such  a  thing  as  this  has  not  happened  nor  been  seen 
from  the  time  that  the  IsraeHtes  came  up  from  Egypt  to  this 
day.   []-9  5 

20 , 1  Then   all  the   Israelites  went   out   to   war.  and  the  Congregation 

assembled    as    one    man,   from    Dan    to    Beersheba   and    the    land    of 

2  Gilead,   to  ♦the   sanctuary   oft  Jh\h    at  Mizpah.''"     And  the    principal 
men  of  all  the  people  took  their  stand,  -and-  all  the  tribes  of  Israel, 

in    the    assembly    of    the    people    of    God,^'  four    hundred    thousand  10 

3  footmen    who    drew    sword. ''^      And    the    Benjamites    heard    that    the 
Israelites  were  gone  to   Mizpah.^^     And  the  Israelites  said:  Say,  how 

4  did   this   crime  happen  ?     The   Levite,  the   husband   of  the   murdered 
woman,    answered :     I    came    with    my    concubine    to    Gibeah    which 

5  belongs  to  Benjamin,  to  pass  the  night;    and    the  citizens    of   Gibeah  15 
assailed    me,    and  gathered  about  the   house  where   I   was,    by  night. 
Me   they  meant    to   kill,^-'  and   they   ravished   my  concubine    so    that 

6  she  died.      Then   I   took   my    concubine,   and   cut    her   in    pieces,  and 
sent  the  pieces  throughout  all  the  countr)-,   ///c  J>osscss/o//  of  Israel ; 

7  because    they    committed"  a    wanton    crime    in    Israel.       Here  ye    all  20 
S  are,    Israelites ;    give    your    word    and    counsel    here !     Then    all    the 

people  stood  up  as  one  man,  saying :  We  will  not  go  to  our 
several  habitations,  and  we  will  not  turn  to  our  several  homes. =' 
9  Now  this  is  what  we  will  do  to  Gibeah  :=^  <we  will  go  up>  against 
10  it  by  lot;  and  will  take  ten  men  out  of  a  hundred,  through  all  the  25 
tribes  of  Israel,  and  a  hundred  out  of  a  thousand,  and  a  thousand 
out  of  ten  thousand,  to  procure  provisions  for  the  people,-''  to  do'' 
to  'Gibeah-  of  Benjamin  what  the  wanton  crime  which  its  inhabitants 
have  committed  in  Israel  deserves.  .4////  all  tlie  iiini  0/ Israel  ivere 
gathered  against  the  city  as  one  man,  as  confederates.'^^  Then  the  30 
tribes  of  Israel  sent  men  throughout  all  the  tribe<-  of  Benjamin,  say- 
ino-:  What  is  this  crime  which  has  been  committed  among  you? 
Now,  therefore,  give  up  those  vile  scoundrels,  who  are  in  Gibeah, 
and  let  us  put  them  to  death,  and  extirpate  <the>  evil  from  Israel. 
But  the    Benjamites   refused  to  listen  to  the    words    of  their  Israelite  3 

14  brethren.      The    Benjamites    gathered    from    their  cities   to   Gibeah,   to 

15  go  out  to  war   with    the   Israelites. =*     And   the   Benjamites   mu.stered 


1 1 
i: 


I : 


.■>3 


1  J 


20,6  "lewdness  and  10  *for  them  to  go 


that  day  from  their  cities  t\venty-<five>  thousand  fighting  men,  besides  20 
the    inhabitants     of    Gibeah,    who    mustered    seven     hundred    young 
warriors;  3°  <>  "every    one    of  them    could    sling    a    .stone   to    a   hair's  16'' 
breadth,   and   not  miss. 3'     The   Israelites  mustered,  exclusive  of  Ben-  17 
5  jamin,3''    four    hundred    thousand    fighting    men,    all    warriors.     And  iS 
//ley   rose,    and  zvent  tip  to  Beth-el,  and  inquired  of  God ;  and  the 
Israelites    asked:     Ulio    of  lis    shall   go  first    to    battle    icitJi    the 
Benjamites ;  and  jHl'H  responded :  fiidah  <shall  go> first .^^     So  the  19 
Israelites    set    out    in    the    morning,   and    encamped   against    Gibeah. ^-t 

10  And  the   Israelite  forces   marched   out  to   battle  with  Benjamin  ;  and  20 
the  Israelite    forces    formed    their    line   of  battle   against   them  in  the 
vicinity   of  Gibeah. 35     Then   the  Benjamites   sallied   out   from   Gibeah,  21 
and    wrought    havoc    with    Israel    on    that    day,    leaving    twenty-two 
thousand    men     on     the     ground.       But"    the     Israelite     forces     took  22 

i,s  courage,  and  formed  their  lines  again  on  the  same  ground  on  which 
they  had  formed  them  on  the  first  day. 3*     And  the  Israelites  went  23 
up  'to  BctJi-eh,   and  wept  before  fHi'H  till  evening,   and  inquired 
of  J  HI' H:    Shall  we  again   advance  to   battle  with   our  Bcnjamite 
brethren  ?  JHV'H  responded :  March  against  them  !   So  the  Israelites  24 

20  closed   upon    the  Benjamites    the    second   day ;    and    the    Benjamites  25 
sallied  from   Gibeah  to  meet  them   on   the  second  day,  and  wrought 
havoc    again    with    Israel,    leaving    eighteen    thousand    men    on    the 
ground, — all  these  were  fighting  men.     And  all  the   Israelites'  went  26 
up  and  came   to   Beth-el,  and  wept  and  sat   there   before    Jhvh,  and 

25  fasted    that   day   till  evening  ;    and  offered   burnt-offerings   and  peace- 
offerings    before    Jhvh. 37     And    the    Israelites   inquired    of  Jhvh    {the  27 
Ark   of  the    Covenant    of    God    was    there     in     those    days,    and  28 
Phinehas,   the  son  of  Aaron's  son  Eleasar,   ministered  before  Him 
in   those  days^i^^  saying :    Shall   we   again    march   out   to   battle   with 

30  our    Benjamite    brethren,     or     shall     we    desist?     Jhvh     responded: 
March !    to-morrow    I   will    give   them   into  your  power.      And    Israel  29 
put  men  in  ambush  against  Gibeah,  on  all  sides. 39     So  the   Israelites  30 
marched   against  the    Benjamites   on   the  third  day,   and  formed  their 
lines    against    Gibeah    as    on    the    former    occasions.      And    the    Ben-  31 

35  jamites    sallied   out   to    meet    the    people,''  and    began    to    slay    some 
of    the    people    as    on    former    occasions'    in    the    open    field,    about 

-wseo»^<- 

30,i6b  "left-handed  22  ^the  people  26  'and  all  the  people 

31  'they  were  drawn  away  from  the  city 4° 

* 
•on  the  highways,  one  of  which  goes  up  to  Beth-el,  and  another  to  Gibeah 41 


20,;,2-4fi  — ■^-^■e^^Sff- ^ui^ce -ffff^tisnx- —  40 

20, ;,2  thirty  men  of  Israel.  And  the  Benjamites  said:  We  are  beating 
them  -again*,  as  we  did  the  first  time.  ]?ut  the  Israelites  had 
passed    the    word  :    Let    us   flee,   and   draw   them   away  from   the  city 

33  to  the  highways.  Then  all  the  men  of  Israel  rose  ",  and  formed 
line    at    Baal-tamar  ;■»-     and    the    ambush    of    Israel    rushed    from    its  5 

34  position,  -west  of  Gibeah>,  and  gained  a  position  opposite  Gibeah, 
ten  thousand  young  warriors  picked  from  all  Israel ;  ■'3  and  the 
fighting    being    severe,   the   Benjamites    did    not    perceive  the  disaster 

35  which  was  imminent.  And  Jiuii  ga\e  Israel  the  \ictory  ON^er  Ben- 
jamin ;     the    Israelites    destroyed    of    Benjamin    that    day    twenty-five  10 

36  thousand  one  hundred  men;  all  these  were  fighting  men.*^  And  the 
Benjamites  saw  that  they  were  defeated.  But  the  men  of  Israel 
gave    ground    to    Benjamin,    relying    upon     the    ambush    which    they 

37  had  set  for  Gibeah. -"s  Then  the  ambush  made  haste,  and  rushed 
upon  Gibeah  ;  an/if  tJie  ambusli  moved  out,  and  sleiv  without  qtiarter  15 

3S  all  the  inliabitants  of  the  city.''^  Now  it  had  been  agreed  between 
the     men    of    Israel    and    the    ambush   «,    that    when    *the     ambush* 

39  sent    up    a    signal-smoke    from    the    city,    then    the    men     of    Israel 
cshould)  turn    about    in    the    battle.'"     Now  Benjamin    had    begun   to 
make    slaughter    among    the    men    of    Israel,    and     had     slain     about  20 
thirty    men  ;   for  they  said  :    We  have  surely  beaten   them  *again-,   as 

40  in  the  former  battle.  Just  then  the  fire-signal  began  to  rise  from 
the    city,    a    column    of  smoke ;    and    the    Benjamites    looked    back, 

41  and  saw  the  whole  city  going  up  in  flames  heavenward. "t"  Then 
the     Israelites    turned    about,    and    the    men    of    Benjamin    were    in  25 

42  dismay ;  for  they  saw  that  disaster  had  overtaken  them.  And  they 
turned  before  the  men  of  Israel  toward  the  wilderness;'"  but  the 
main    battle    clung    to    them,   and    those    who    came    from   the   cit<y> 

43  ■were  making  havoc  with  them  in  the  midst  0.-^°  They  <cut>  Ben- 
jamin  -to   pieces^  o  tfrom    Nohah>  <>  as   far  as   opposite  tGeba>,  east-  30 

44  ward. 5'      There    fell    of   Benjamin    eighteen    thousand    men  ;    all    these 

45  were  valiant  warriors."  Then  they  turned,  and  fled  to  the  desert, 
to  the  Cliff  of  Rimmon;"  and  the  Israelites  gleaned  on  the  high- 
ways   five    thousand     men,    and    dogged    their    heels    to    <Geba>,    and 

46  slew    of    them    two    thousand    men.      The    whole    number    of   Benja-  35 
mites    that    fell     on    that    day    was    twenty-five     thousand     fighting 

47  men  ;  '-t  these  were  all  valiant  warriors.  So  they  turned,  and  fled 
to    the    desert,     to     the    Cliff  of    Rimmon,     six    hundred    men  ;     and. 

48  abode    on    the    Cliff  of    Rimmon    four    months.''      But    the    men    of 
Israel   returned   to   the  Benjamites,   and   slew    them    without    quarter,  40 
both    imani    and    beast, —  everything    that    was    there ;     also    all    the 
towns  that  there   were  -in   Benjamin*,  they  burned. 5* 


41  — ^-is^^SIf  ^xii^is -sSSi-^i^^ —  ai,i-iS 

Now  the   men    of  Israel   had   sworn   at   Mizpah  :    No  one  of  us  21, 
shall    give     his     daughter    in    marriage    to    a    Benjamite.^'      So'*    the  2 
people   came   to    Beth-el,  and   stayed   there  till  evening  before   Jhvh, 
and  wept   loud  and  long, 5?  and  said  :   Why,   O  Jhvh,   God  of  Israel,  3 
5  is    this    come    about    in    Israel ;    that    one    tribe   is   lacking   to-day  in 
Israel  ?'^     A;i(^  on  Ihc  next  day  the  people    rose,   and   built    there  4 
ail  altar,  and  offered  burnt-offerings  aiid  peace-offerings.     And  the  5 
Israelites  said :    J  J  'ho  is  there,    of  all  the  tribes  of  Israel,  that  did 
not   come    up,    in    the   assembly,    to  jHl'H ,-  for  a  great  oath    had 

10  been  taken,   that  any  zvho  should  not  come  up  to  Jhvh  in  Mizpah 
should  icithoul  fail  be  put  to  death.     And  the  Israelites  were  sorry  6 
for    their    Benjamite    brethren,    and    said  :    One    tribe    is    cut    off   this 
day  from    Israel.      What   shall  we   do    for  them"  in  regard  to  wives  ;  7 
seeing    that    we    have    sworn    b}-    Jhvh     not    to    give    them    any    of 

15  our    daughters    as    wives  ?     Then   they   inquired :    What  one  is   there  S 
out    of    the    tribes     of    Israel    that    did    not    come    up    to    Jhvh    in 
Mizpah  ?       Now    not    a    man    had    come    to    the   camp    from    Jabesh 
in  Gilead,  to  the  assembly.      So  the  people  were  counted,   and  there  9 
was  not  a  man  there  of  the  inhabitants  of  Jabesh  in  Gilead.'''     And  10 

20  the   Congregation   sent   thither   twelve  thousand    men,    of   the   valiant 
warriors,   commanding  them  :    Go,   slay  the   inhabitants    of  Jabesh   in 
Gilead   without    quarter,    men,    women,    and    children!      This    is   what  11 
ye    must    do :    every   male,   and    every  woman   who    has    lain   w'ith   a 
male,  ye  must  devote  to  destruction!''''     And  they  found  among  the  12 

25  inhabitants   of  Jabesh   in    Gilead   four   hundred   virgin   girls,   who   had 
not   lain    with    a   male,*^   and   brought    them   to   the   camp,   to   Shiloh 
in  the  land  of  Canaan.*''     Then  all  the  Congregation  sent  a  message  13 
to  the  Benjamites  who  were  at  the  Cliff  of  Rimmon,  and  proclaimed 
peace  to  them.      So  the   Benjamites  returned  at  that  time  ;    and   they  14 

30  gave    them   the    maidens    of  the    women   of  Jabesh   in    Gilead  whom 
they  had   saved   alive;    but  there  were  not  enough  for  them.     ''sThe  15 
people  were   sorry   for   Benjamin,   because   Jhvh    had   made  a  breach 
in  the  tribes  of  Israel. ""^     And  the  Elders  of  the  Congregation  said  :  16 
What    shall    we    do    in    regard    to    wives    for    those    who    remain ; 

35  for    women    had    been    wholly    destroyed    among     Benjamin.*''     And  17 
they  said  :   <How  shall>  a    remnant   of   Benjamin  <be    saved-,  and    no 
tribe     be     blotted    out     from     Israel?*^    since    we    ourselves    cannot  18 
give    them    wives    from    among    our    daughters.      For    the    Israelites 


31,7  -for  those  who  are  left 


21,  19-25 


—^■i^smsSf  ^uic^te  -««»c<3+< — 


42 


21  liaci   sworn  :    Cursed    be    the    man    who    gives   a   wife   to    a  Benjamite! 

19  Then  they  said  :  The  festival  in  honor  of  Jiivii  is  held  every  year 
at    Shi  loll,   u'/izc/i   is   north   of  Bcth-el,    cast  of  the  road   that   runs 

20  from  Beth-el  to  Shcchcm,  and  south  of  Lebonah.^    And  they  bade 

21  the    Benja^nites :''°    Go,    lie    in   wait    in    the   vineyards;    and   ye    musts 
watch,   and  when  the  maidens   of  Shiloh   come   out   to  dance   in  the 
religious   dances/'   ye   must   come   out   of  the   vineyards,    and   snatch 
for    yourselves    every    man    a    wife    of    the    maidens    of    Shiloh,    and 

22  make  off  to  the   land  of  Benjamin.      And  if  their  fathers  or  brothers 
come   to    us   to    complain    of   you,    we    will    say    to    them:     Let    them  10 
keep   thenv  ;    because  <they>  did   not    each   get    a   wife    in    the    war.^' 

23  For  chad)  ye  <given>  them  to  them,  ye  twould  now)  be  guilty.  The 
Benjamites  did  so  ;  and  took  wives,  equal  to  their  own  number,  of 
the    dancers   whom   they   stole ;    and   they  went   back   again   to   their 

24  possession,   and    rebuilt    their   towns,   and    dwelt   in    them.     Then   the  15 
Israelites  dispersed  thence,   at  that  time,   each   to  his  tribe  and  clan  ; 

25  and  thence  they  went  each  to  his  own  possession.  In  those  days 
there  was  no  king  in   Israel ;  every  man  did  as  he  pleased." 


Qtofea  on  ^^^5^^ 


^,,v;  I  >>^  HE  Book  of  Judges  consists  of  three  parts :  1,1-2,512,6-16.31; 
'"*  17-21.  'The  body  of  the  Book,  to  which  alone  the  title  in  strict 
propriety  belongs,  represents  the  history  of  Israel,  from  the 
generation  succeeding  the  Invasion  to  the  '  days  of  the  Philis-  5 
tines '  preceding  the  establishment  of  the  kingdom,  as  a  series 
of  apostasies,  judgments,  and  deliverances,  recurring  in  this  order 
with  unbroken  regularity.  A  comprehensive  survey  and  estimate 
of  the  whole  period  is  given  in  the  Introduction,  2,6-3,6:  As 
soon  as  Joshua  and  his  contemporaries  had  passed  away,  the  10 
Israelites  forsook  their  own  God,  Jhvh,  and  adopted  the  religions  of  the  peoples 
about  them.  Indignant  at  this  unfaithfulness,  God  allowed  them  to  be  overrun 
and  subjugated  by  their  enemies.  When  in  their  distress  they  cried  to  Him  for 
help,  He  relented,  and  raised  them  up  champions  (Judges),  who  delivered  them 
from  their  foes.  But  the  efforts  of  these  leaders  wrought  no  thorough  or  lasting  15 
amendment ;  when  they  were  dead  the  people  relapsed,  and  did  worse  than  their 
fathers,  thus  bringing  upon  themselves  fresh  judgments  of  Jhvh  by  the  hand  of 
their  enemies. 

In  the  sequel,  the  history  of  the  period  is  set  forth  in  a  corresponding 
scheme;  The  Israelites  offended  Jhvh  by  defection  from  Him;  He  gave  them  20 
into  the  power  of  their  enemies  for  so  many  years ;  then  He  raised  up  a  deliv- 
erer, who  freed  them  from  their  oppre.ssors ;  tmder  him  the  land  enjoyed 
security  for  so  many  years.  This  is  repeated  briefly,  and  for  the  most  part  in 
set  phrases,  in  the  case  of  the  Judges  Othniel,  Ehud,  Deborah  and  Barak,  Gideon, 
Jephthah,  Samson,  and  forms  the  setting  for  the  recital  of  the  heroic  deeds  of  25 
these  champions,  which  are  narrated  at  greater  length  and  evidently  derived  from 
older  sources.     ( See  further  below,  note  on  2,5.) 

CC.  17-21  form  an  appendix  to  the  Book  of  Judges,  containing  two  stories 
of  the  times,  relating  events  of  great  moment  in  the  history  of  two  of  the  tribes: 
the   migration   of  the   Danites    (cc.  17-18),  and   the   vengeance  taken   by   Israel  30 
for  the  outrage  at  Gibeah,   resulting   in   the   almost   complete   extirpation   of  the 
Benjamites  (cc.  19-21). 

The  section  1,1-2,5  is  a  brief  and  obviously  fragmentary  account  of  the 
conquests  and  settlements  of  the  Israelite  tribes  in  Canaan.  As  c.  i  records 
particularly  the  districts  which  they  did  not  at  once  get  possession  of,  and  tells  35 
how,  in  many  parts  of  the  land,  Canaanite  cities  remained  in  the  midst  of  Israel, 
while  in  others  the  Israelites  settled  peaceably  among  the  native  inhabitants,  it 
stands  not  unsuitably  before  2  , 6  ff. ;   the  presence  of  these  heathen  was  a  snare 


44  — >-if3*«iS»-  (llotoo  on  Jubgce  -ij?*9|eH-» — 

to  Israel,  the  cause  of  all  the  evils  which  followed  (see  2,  i''.  5^).  It  is,  however, 
])laiiily  not  a  part  of  the  original  Book  of  Judges,  w'hose  introduction  (2,6-3,6) 
not  only  makes  no  allusion  to  i  ,  i  -2,  5,  but  connects  itself  innnediately  with  the 
Book  of  Joshua  in  such  a  way  as  to  leave  no  place  for  c.  i,  which  must,  there- 
5  fore,  have  been  inserted  by  a  later  editor. 

(pfacc  of  Ju^g^o  tn  (6c  l^tetorp  of  Jeraef. 

From  the  Book  of  Judges  we  learn  all  that  we  know  directly  about  the 
formative  period  of  the  two  Israelitish  nations.  The  tribes  which  invaded 
Western   Palestine  were  shepherds  or  herdsmen  ;    in  their  new  home  they  were 

10  constrained  to  settle,  and  till  the  soil.  As  c.  i  shows  us,  the  conditions  under 
which  this  change  was  made  were  not  the  same  in  all  parts  of  the  land,  nor 
was  it  everywhere  accomplished  with  ecjual  rapidity ;  among  the  most  southern 
tril)es,  indeed,  it  was  never  complete.  The  passage  from  the  nomadic  life  to 
fi.xed  liabilation  in  cities  and  towns  brought  many  other  changes  with  it.      The 

15  old  clan  organization  must  have  been  much  impaired  in  the  invasion ;  clans, 
were  broken  up ;  several  clans  or  fragments  of  clans  settled  side  by  side  in 
the  same  village  or  city,  and  were  united  by  new  ties  of  common  interest.  The 
old  simple  customary  law  did  not  provide  for  the  new  questions  which  arose 
out  of  private  property  in  land,  for  example ;    the  old  sanctions,  based  on  blood 

20  kindred,  were  no  longer  effective.  The  old  social  order  was  thus  dissolved, 
and  was  only  slowly  replaced  by  a  new  one,  which  must  have  conformed  in  the 
main  to  that  of  the  Canaanites  among  w'hom  the  Israelites  lived. 

F"roni  the  Canaanites,  also,  the  Israelites  learned  the  arts  of  husbandry.  In 
so   doing,  they  learned,  of  course,  not   only  to   plough,  and   sow,  and  reap;  to 

25  cultivate  the  fig,  the  olive,  and  the  vine,  and  to  make  wine  and  oil ;  but  to 
practice  the  religious  rites  which  w'ere  equally  an  indispensable  part  of  ancient 
agriculture.  They  made  their  offerings  for  the  grain  and  the  wine  and  the  oil 
to  the  Baals  and  Astartes  of  the  land,  who  bestowed  these  gifts  on  their 
worshipers.      In   so   doin.g,   they   did   not   dream   of  abandoning   their  own  God, 

30  Jhvh,  for  the  gods  of  Canaan.  But  Jhvh  was  a  .shepherd's  God,  whom  they 
honored  with  the  firstlings  of  their  flocks  and  herds,  not  a  God  of  the  fruitful  soil 
{cf.  Gen.  4,4  ff.).  Later,  indeed,  when  Canaan  had  become  Israel's  land,  Jhvh 
was  regarded  as  its  proprietor,  and  the  worship  of  the  nameless  Baals,  without 
any  change  in  its  character,  was  addressed  to  Jhvh,  as  the  Baal  of  Israel.     The 

35  judgment  of  the  later  writers,  who  see  in  the  whole  period  of  the  Judges  an 
apostasy  from  Jhvh  to  Canaanite  heathenism,  is  thus  not  without  foundation. 
Nor  is  it  to  be  supposed  that  in  the  times  of  the  Judges  themselves  there  were 
none  to  protest  against  the  adoption  of  Canaanite  reli.gions.  On  the  contrary, 
there  is  every  reason  (o  believe  that  then,  as  in  later  times  —  down  even  to  the 

40  fall  of  Judah  —  there  were  zealots  for  Jhvh  who  condemned  the  whole  Canaanite 
civilization  which  Israel  had  adopted,  and  contended  for  the  old  simplicity  of 
life  and  purity  of  religion  —  the  ancient  nomadic  ideal. 

The  Israelites  were  not  left  in  undisputed  and  undisturbed  possession  of 
their  conquests.     Their  kinsmen  on  the  other  side  of  the  Jordan,   the  Moabites 

45  and  Ammonites,  contested  with  them  their  newly  acquired  territories ;  the 
Bedouins  of  the  southern  and  eastern  deserts  harried  them.  But  the  most 
serious  .stru.ggle  of  the  period  was  with  the  Canaanites  under  Sisera,  from  whom 
Israel  was  delivered  by  Deborah  and  Barak.  The  general  rising  of  the  tribes  at 
Deborah's  summons  shows  that  in  the  religion  of  Jhvh  they  had  a  strong  bond 

50  of  unity.  The  actual  consolidation  of  the  independent  tribes  in  a  national 
kingdom  was  forced  upon  them  by  the  conquering  progress  of  the  Philistines  ; 
but  tliis  lies  bevond  the  limits  of  our  Book. 


— !~M3aeeS*-  (Jlotca  on  ^uii^ee  ^w^sm-s—  45 

The  great  value  of  the  Book  of  Judges  Hes  in  the  faithful  and  vivid  pictures 
which  it  gives  us  of  this  troubled  and  turbulent  time  in  which  historical  Israel 
was  making.  Hardly  any  narrative  in  the  OT  throws  more  light  on  the 
social  and  religious  life  of  the  ancient  Israelites  than  the  story  of  Micah's  idol  and 
the  migration  of  the  Danites  (cc.  17.18).  The  stories  of  Samson  (cc.  13-16)  5 
are  specimens  of  a  kind  of  literature  of  which  there  are  few  other  examples  in 
the  OT.  Beside  their  historical  importance,  the  stories  themselves,  so  simply, 
directly,  and  strongly  told,  have  a  perpetual  human  interest. 

C^tonofogp  of  t6c  (^ooft  of  Juigee. 

The  chronology  of  the   Book  of  Judges  presents  very  difficult  problems,  a  10 
completely   satisfactory   solution   of  which   has  not  yet  been  achieved.     A  glance 
at  the   synoptical   table    below   (p.  52)   shows    that   in   the    case    of  the    greater 
Judges   the   round   numbers   40,  20,    80,    jiredominate ;   that   is,    according   to   the 
Hebrew  way  of  reckoning,  a  generation,  half  a  generation,  two  generations.     The 
same  numbers  meet  us  frequently   in   the  preceding  and  following  periods:  the  15 
life  of  Moses  is  divided  into  three  stages  of  forty  years  each  ;   the  wandering  in 
the  desert  lasted   forty  years ;    Eli  judged  Israel  forty  years ;  Da\id  reigned  forty 
years;   Solomon,  forty;  &c.      The   key   to  this  system  is  found   in  i  Kings  6,1, 
according  to  which  the  entire   interval   between  the  exodus   from  Egypt  and   the 
building  of  Solomon's   temple   was   four    hundred    and    eighty   years,   or    twelve  20 
generations   of  forty   years   each.     The  same   system  underlies  tlie  chronology  of 
the    Books    of   Kings.      This    simple    theoretical    construction,    which    strikingly 
resembles   the  first  attempts  of  the  Greeks   in   the  same  direction-  (Hecatjeus  of 
Miletus,  about  b.  c.  550-476),  is  crossed  by  other  numbers,  which   do  not  appear 
to  be  systematic ;   e.  g.  the   rule   of  the    Minor   Judges.      The    chronology    was  25 
probably  constructed  upon  the  assumption  that  the  Judges  formed  a  continuous 
succession,  like  the  Kings  who   succeeded   them,   as  follows  :   Moses  40 ;  Joshua 
[40J;   Othniel  40;  Ehud  So;  Barak  40;  Gideon  40;  the  Minor  Judges  with  Jeph- 
thah,  together  76;  Samson  20 ;  Eli  2o(LXX);  Samuel  [40];  David  40 ;  Solomon, 
till  the  building  of  the   Temple,  4  ;   total,  480.     The   duration   of  the  periods  of  30 
oppression   was  not   originally  given  ;   these  numbers  were   introduced   by  a  later 
hand,  destroying  the  symmetry  of  the  system. 

How  long  a  time  actually  intervened  between  the  first  invasion  of  Western 
Palestine  by  Israelite  tribes  and  the  establishment  of  the  kingdom,  which  may 
be  put,  in  round  numbers,  at  about  1000  B.C.,  it  is  not  possible  to  determine.  35 
The  date  commonly  assigned  to  the  Exodus,  in  the  reign  of  Merneptah,  about 
1300  B.C.,  would  leave  for  the  whole  period  of  the  Judges  about  two  centuries 
and  a  half  A  recently  discovered  inscription  of  this  King  shows,  however,  that 
in  his  time  Israel  was  settled  in  the  central  or  northern  part  of  Palestine,  and 
was  even  then  an  agricultural  peo]ile  (/srae/  is  dcvasfa/t'd ;  his  seed — ;'.  e.  grain  40 
—  is  destroyed).  Many  scholars  think  that  the  K/iabiri,  who  according  to  the 
dispatches  of  Egyptian  officials  in  Palestine  to  King  Amenophis  IV.  (about 
1400  B.  c. )  were  at  that  time  threatening  the  continuance  of  Egyptian  authority 
in  the  land,  were  Hebrew  tribes. 

Most,  if  not  all,  of  the  struggles  narrated  in  the  Book  of  Judges  probably  45 
fall  in  the  latter  part  of  the  period,  say  between  1200  and  1000  b.  c;  the  state 
of  society  depicted  in  the  stories  is  certainly  ■  not  that  of  the  first  generations 
after  the  Invasion.  Of  the  great  migration  of  the  northern  peoples,  who  in  the 
reign  of  Ramses  III.  (about  1200  b.  c. )  poured  into  Syria,  overthrew  the  Hittite 
Empire,  and  were  only  turned  back  at  the  borders  of  Egypt;  and  of  the  subse-  50 
quent  campaigns  by  which  Ramses  III.  re-established  the  Egyptian  supremacy 
in  southern  Syria,  we  find  no  memory  in  the  Book.     Nor  do  we  learn  anything 


46  — »*eg«aii-  (llotce  on  3"^3'*  ' 

about  tile  tiiiif  or  way  in  which  the  Phihstines,  who  first  appear  among  the 
nortliern  liorcles  in  the  inscriptions  of  Ramses  III.,  established  themselves  in 
Palestine.  The  wars  of  the  great  Assyrian  King,  Tiglath-pileser  I.,  in  Euphratene 
Syria  (about  1125  i).  c),  were  beyoiul  tlie  horizon  of  the  Israelites. 

^ourcee  of  tU  Q0oo6. 

The  Book  of  Judges  has  come  down  to  us  onlj'  as  a  part  of  a  comprehensive 
History  of  Israel  from  the  Creation  of  the  World  to  the  Babylonian  Exile 
(Gen.- 2  Kings),  and,  like  the  other  parts  of  this  w'ork,  bears  the  marks  of  a 
post-Exilic  age.    The  task  of  criticism   is  to  discover  and,   if  possible,   identify 

10  the  sources  from  which  the  author  drew  his  materials,  and  to  determine  in  what 
way  he  dealt  with  them.  The  results  of  this  investigation  may  be  briefly  set 
forth  as  follows : — 

CC.  2,  6-16,31  are  taken,  with  little  change,  from  a  History  of  Israel  under 
the  Judges  written  probably  in  the  6>1»  century  B.C.,  by  an  author  of  the  Deuter- 

15  onomistic  school.  For  this  book  and  its  author  the  symbol  D  is  employed. 
The  Introduction  of  D  is  preserved  in  Jud.  2,6-3,6;  but  it  is  not  probable 
that  it  ended  with  16,31  (or  15,20);  there  is,  on  the  contrary,  some  evidence 
that  it  included  at  least  the  times  of  Eli  and  Samuel.  The  stories  of  the 
exploits  of  the  Judges  in  D  were  ultimately  derived  from  two  considerably  older 

20  historical  works,  which  seem,  in  their  turn,  to  have  drawn  directly  from  the 
stream  of  popular  tradition.  One  of  these  may  have  been  written  in  the  9th 
century  b.  c.  ;  the  other  is  somewhat  younger.  The  former  is  with  considerable 
probability  identified  with  the  Judaic  History  which  is  one  of  the  main  sources 
of   the   Hexateuch   (J);   the  latter  with  the   Ephraimitic  Histoiy  (E).      D   did 

25  not  himself  combine  these  two  narratives,  but  found  them  already  united  by 
an  earlier  compiler  (RJ^),  whose  work  (JE),  commonly  called  Prophetical 
Narrative,  composed  in  the  7'*^  century,  was  perhaps  D's  only  authority  for  the 
period.  JE,  if  not  J  and  E  separately,  survived  by  the  side  of  D  until  some 
time   after  the   Exile   (the    latter  part   of   the   s'h   or    the   beginning    of   the  4'h 

30  century),  when  the  author  of  the  present  Book  of  Judges  drew  upon  it  to 
supplement  D's  work,  prefixing  1,1-2,5,  and  cc.  17.18  and  19-21  — the  last 
named  chapters  with  considerable  additions  of  his  own,  or  at  least  of  post-Exilic 
origin.     See  further  below,  p.  47,  11.  10  fl!".,  and  pp.  52-54. 

(gvpfanation  of  i%i  Cofore. 

35  In  the  foregoing  translation  these  sources  of  the  Book  of  Judges  are  repre- 

sented by  colors  as  follows  : 

Parts  derived  from  J  are  printed  black,  witliout  any  colored  background 
{e.  g.  1,5-7)- 

Dark  blue  {e.g.  4,6)   is  employed  for  E. 
40  Light  blue  {e.g.  2,6)   represents  later  additions  to  E  (E^). 

Dark  purple  {e.g.  10,1)  is  used  for  JE,  that  is  for  those  parts  of  the 
work  in  which  J  and  E  are  so  intimately  fused  that  they  cannot  be  separated 
by  analysis. 

Light  purple  {e.g.  7,2)  for  additions  of  the  redactor   or   editor   of  J    and 
45  E  (R-'^)  who  interwove  the  two  documents  with  one  another. 

Green  (e.g.  2,7)  for  D,  which  in  many  cases  overlies  R.''^. 
Yellow  {e.g.  1,4)  for  the  additions  of  the  post-Exilic  author  or  editors. 
Italics   indicate  the  latest  strata   of  the  respective   documents   (<>.,?•.  8, 26; 
3,12;  cc.  20.21);  especially  redactional  changes  or  additions,  made  in  the  pro- 
50  cess  of  uniting  and   harmonizing  different  sources   {e.  g.  4,7;  5,1;  7,20),  or  in 


— »4*^*SC»-  (JlotcB  on  ^ui^ee  -sSMfsM-s—  47 

adjusting  the  narrative  to  the  point  of  view  of  the  editor  (<•.."•.  i,S;  6,iS; 
9,22;  13,19;  c.  14)  or  glossator  (f..^.  17,2.4),  or  under  the  influence  of  a 
parallel  passage  (f.  ^.  6,39;  10,3;  19,24).  Some  of  these  latest  additions  to 
the  te.xt  might  have  been  treated  as  glosses  (e.  g-.  2,  1 .2 ;  15,5);  but  as  a  rule 
words  and  clauses  have  been  removed  to  the  foot  of  the  page  only  when  there  5 
was  some  e.xternal  evidence,  such  as  the  omission  of  the  words  in  the  Ancient 
X'ersions  (e.  ^.  7,6),  or  grammatical  irregularity  (('.^.3,24;  7,14;  8,4;  16,41), 
or  misplacement,  the  marginal  note  having  been  inserted  in  the  te.xt  in  a  false 
connection  (e.  g.  3,  17). 


(Uo(e0  on  1,1-2,5. 


The   section  1,1-2,5,  although  a  comparatively  late  addition   to   the   Book   10 
of  Judges,   is   derived   in  the   main   from   a  very  ancient  source ;   it  preserves,  in 
fact,   the    fragmentary  remains   of  the  Judaic   (J)    narrative  of   the  Conquest  of 
Canaan.     According  to  this  account,  the  Israelite  tribes  invaded  the  land  singly, 
or  in  groups,   as  the  bond   of   kindred,   proximity,    or  common   interest    united 
them;  the  movements  of  Judah  and   its  allies  (Simeon,   Caleb,  the   Kenites)  in  15 
the  South,  of  the  Josephite   tribes   in  the  Central   Highlands  (Mount   Ephraim), 
and  of  the  northern  tribes   in  Galilee,   being  quite   independent  of  one  another. 
The  conquest  of  the  land  was  at  first  far  from  complete  ;   the  tribes  north  of  the 
Great    Plain   were   able   to   do   little   more   than   find    settlements   for  themselves 
among  the   older   inhabitants,   while  even  the  stronger  tribes  south  of  the  Plain  20 
succeeded  only  in   occupying  the   Highlands,   the  Canaanites  by  means  of  their 
war    chariots    maintaining    possession    of   the    plains    and    broad    valleys.     The 
fortified  cities,  with  few  exceptions,  defied  the  invaders.     The  conquests  of  Judah 
were  separated  from  those  of  Joseph  by  a  chain  of  strongholds  with  Jerusalem 
in  its  centre,  which  remained  in  the  hands  of  the  Canaanites  till  the  time  of  Saul  25 
and  David  ( r .  e.  about   1000  B.  c.)  ;    the  cities  along  the  line  of  the  Great   Plain, 
from    Beth-shean    near  the  Jordan   to   Dor   on   the  sea-coast,    shut   up   Ephraim 
and   Manasseh   in  their    mountains,    and    separated  them   from    Asher,   Zebulun, 
and   Naphtali,  in  Galilee.     The  history  of  Israel  in  the  time  of  the  Judges  is  in 
many  ways  determined  by  these  conditions.      The    overthrow   of    these   barriers,  30 
the  creation  of  a  United  Israel,  was  the  work  of  the  early  monarchy. 

This  account  of  the  Conquest  is  strikingly  at  variance  with  that  which  we 
have  in  the  Book  of  Joshua.     In  the  latter,  Israel  invades  Palestine  in  one  great 
army,  under  command  of  Joshua.     Two  campaigns,  two   decisive  battles  (Josh. 
10.  II),   achieve  the  conquest  of  the  whole  country,  from  the  mountains  on  the  35 
Edomite  border  in  the  south  to  Mount  Hermon  in  the  north  (see  Josh.  11  ,  15-23). 
In  these  wars  the  entire  population  of  the  land  was  ruthlessly  extirpated  ( 10 ,  40 ; 
11,11.14.21).    The  land  was  then  allotted  to  the  several  tribes,  who  had  nothing 
to  do  but  to  take  possession  of  their  respective   territories  (i3fl^).     That  this 
representation  is   unhistorical  needs  no  demonstration  ;   the  history  of  the  times  40 
of  the  Judges  and  of  the  early  kingdom  proves  that  many  generations  elapsed 
after  the  invasion  before  Israel  was  in  full  possession  of  the  land  ;   and  that,  far 
from  being  extirpated  at   one  stroke,   the   Canaanites   remained   for  centuries   by 
the  side  of  the   Israelites,  and  disappeared  at  last  by  gradual  absorption  in   the 
dominant   population.      In   all   this,   the   subsequent   history  confirms   the   general  45 
truthfulness  of  the  representation  in  Jud.  i. 


1,1-7  — 5*e««@Si- (Po<C0  on  ^ui^ce  ■^^m^fsH-''—  4S 

L'nfortunately,  this  oldest  account  of  the  Conquest  has  not  been  preserved 
complete,  but  only  in  an  abridgment  ada|ited  b>-  the  editor  to  his  own  purpose 
and  point  of  view.  In  vv.  1-21,  narrating;  the  conquests  of  Judah  and  its 
kindred  and  allied  clans  in  the  south,  the  order  has  been  deranged  by  the 
5  transposition  of  v.  20,  w-hich  in  the  original  context  stood  before  v.  10  ((/.Josh. 
15,13),  and  of  vv.  19.21  (or  21.19)  which  followed  v.  7.  The  beginning  of  the 
story  of  Adoni-bezek  seems  to  have  been  omitted ;  a  clause  or  two  from  it 
may  be  preserved  in  v.  4,  which  as  a  whole  is  editorial.  The  beginning  of  the 
account  of  Caleb's  achievements  has  been  altered  in  such  a  way  as  to  attribute 

lo  them  to  Judah  (v.  loa),  the  original  introduction  being  removed  to  v.  20.  To 
the  hand  of  an  editor  are  also  to  be  ascribed  v.  S  and  v.  iS  (the  capture  of  Jeru- 
salem, and  conquest  of  the  seaboard  by  Judah),  which  contradict  v.  21  and  v.  19; 
and  probably  v.  9.  Y.  i^  which  puts  the  invasion  and  conquest  as  related  in 
I    a//rr  the   death   of  Joshua,   is   also   editorial    (cf.  2,6ff. ).     In   the   rest  of  the 

15  chapter,  relating  the  conquests  of  Joseph  (vv.  22-29)  ^nd  of  tlie  northern 
tribes  (vv.  30-33),  and  the  failure  cf  Dan  to  get  a  foothold  in  the  region  where 
it  first  sought  to  establish  itself  ( vv.  34.35),  the  editor  seems  to  have  confined 
himself  to  abridging  his  source ;  v.  36  appears  to  be  mutilated  at  the  end.  But 
the   rebuke  which  the  Messenger  of  Jhvh  administers  to   Israel  at   Bochim  for 

20  sparing  the  Canaanites,  and  the  sentence  he  pronounces  (a.i^-sa)  are  an 
addition  by  the  editor,  and  di.sclose  the  motive  with  which  he  prefixed  c.  i  to 
the  Book. 

Fragments  of  the  same  ancient  source  are  preserved  also  in  the  Book  of 
Joshua:    see  Josh.  15,  14-19;   15.63;   16,10;    17,  11  -  13;  13  ,  13  ;   19,47  (LXX); 

25  17,  14- iS. 

(i)  Formula  of  the  final  editor  of  the  Historical  Books  (see  p.  46,  1.  7),  1,1 
marking  the  beginning  of  the  Book  of  Judges;  cf.  Josh.  1,1.  Jud.  i  is  not, 
however,  a  sequel  to  the  Book  of  Joshua,  describing  a  second  conquest  or 
re-conquest  of  the  land,  but  an  independent  account  of  the  invasion  and  settle- 
30  ment  of  Western  Palestine  by  the  Israelite  tribes,  parallel  to  the  Book  of  Joshua 
(see  above,  p.  47,  1.  32,  and  below,  note  on  2,6  ff.).  What  originally  preceded 
i''  is  lost. 

(2)  The  tribes,  which  are  supposed  to  be  encamped  together  in  the  valley 
of   the   Jordan,    near   Jericho    (v.  16)   and    Gilgal    (2,1),    consult    tlie    oracle    to 

35  determine  which  shall  begin  the  invasion  of  the  interior. 

Canaanites,  in  J  the  collective  name  for  the  inhabitants  of  Western  Palestine. 

(3)  Judah  and  Simeon  formed,  w'ith  Reuben  and  Levi,   a  distinct  group  of  3 
tribes  (Leah).     The  pastures  and  settlements   of  Simeon   were  in  the  south  of 
Judah  ;  cf  V.  17,  and  see  Josh.  19,  1-9;  15,26-32.42  ;  i  Chr.  4,  24-43. 

40  (4)  It  is  assumed  that  the  region  in  which  each  tribe,  or  group  of  tribes,  was 

to  seek  its  fortune,  had  been  determined,  probably  by  the  sacred  lot,  before  the 
actual  invasion  began  ;  a  representation  which  can  hardly  be  deemed  historical. 

(5)  The   name   Adoni-bezek    is    of   anomalous    formation;    it   is  a   probable  5 
conjecture  that  in   the  original   context  of  J   he  was  called  Adoni-zedek,    King 

45  of  Jerusalem  (cf.  i°;  Josh.  10,3). 

(6)  The  Bezek  of  i  Sam.  II,S,  now  Khirbct  Ibziq,  fourteen  or  fifteen  miles 
NE  of  Ndbulus  (Shechem),  cannot  be  the  place  meant  here.  If  the  text  be 
sound,  we  must  suppose  that  there  was  another  Bezek,  nearer  Jerusalem. 

{7)  The  Pei-izsites  are  frequently  mentioned  in  the  catalogues  of  the  nations 
50  of  Canaan  (see  Deut.  7,1);  and,  as   here,    by   the  side  of  the   Canaanites   (Gen. 

13.7;  34.30;  .!>■ 

(8)  If  the  following  verse  is  a  late  and  unhistorical  addition  to  the  narrative  7 
of  J  (see  ne.\t  note),  7''  must  mean   that   his   own   people   took   him    (home)    to 


49  — >*e^{@«- (JlotcB  on  ^ui^ee -m^^t-^^-  i,S-i7 

Jerusalem,  where  he  died, —  a  possible,  but  not  very  natural  interpretation  of  the  i 
words.     The  alternative  is  to  suppose  that  y^  is  itself  an  addition  to  the  original 
text. 

(9)  This  verse  contradicts  v.  21  and  Josh.  15,63.     Jerusalem  was  a  Jebusite  8 
5  city  (19,  11  f. )  till  it  was  taken  by  David  (2  Sam.  5,6-9). 

(10)  V.  9  is  a  general  introduction  to  the  following  description  of  the  con-  9 
quests.     The   Moimtains  are  the  Central   Highlands,   the  backbone   of  Southern 
Palestine,    attaining    their    greatest    elevation    near    Hebron ;    the    Negeb    (or 

'  Barrens, '  AV  the  South )  is  the  steppe  region  in  the  South,  between  the 
10  mountains  of  Judah  and  the  steep  transverse  ridges  now  named  the  Mountains 
of  the  Azazimeh,  by  which  it  is  separated  from  the  level  desert ;  the  Lowlands 
(Heb.  shcphctdh,  AV  the  plain)  are  the  ranges  of  hills,  intersected  by  broad 
and  fertile  valleys,  between  the  mountains  and  the  coast-plain  of  Philistia.  The 
fourth  region  of  Judah,  the  Wilderness,  the  rocky  steeps  in  which  the  mountains 
15  fall  off  to  the  east  to  the  level  of  the  Dead  Sea  (1300  feet  below  the  Mediter- 
ranean), is  mentioned  in  v.  16. 

(11)  The  account   of  the  taking   of  Hebron  and  Debir   is   found   in   a   more  10 
original   form  in  Josh.  15,  13  fF.:   the  Israelites  give  Hebron  to  Caleb,   who  drives 
out  the  three  giants  {Sons  of  Anak),  Sheshai,  Ahiman,  and  Talmai.     Thence  he 

20  goes   against  Debir,   &c.     In  the  redaction  of  Judges,  the  conquest  of  Hebron  is 

attributed   to  Judah,  which  afterwards  gives  the   captured   city  to   Caleb  (v.  20); 

but  the  confusion  about  the  subject  of  v.  1 1  and  the  conflict  between  v.  \d°  and 

v.  2ob  remain  as  evidence  of  the  older  representation. 

The   words   the  older  name  of  Hebron   was  Kirjath  Arha   are  a  gloss  ;   but 
25  may   have   been   introduced    by  the   editor   to   whom    the   other  changes   in   the 

verse  are  due.     Y.  11''  is  a  similar  gloss. 

(12)  Debir,   probably  the  modern   ed-Dahariyeh,   four   or  live   hours  SW  of  11 
Hebron,  on   the  way  to   Beersheba,  on  the  border  between  the  Hill-country  and 
the  Negeb  (see  note  10). — Kirjath-sepher,  see  note  11,  end. 

30  (13)    Younger  (not  in  Josh.  15,17)  is   a   gloss,  to   explain   that  the   disparity  13 

in  age  was  not   so   great   as   might  be   inferred   from   the   relation   of  uncle   and 
niece. 

(14)  The   form   shows    that  these    are    Canaanite    proper    names    of   places,   15 
meaning,  perhaps.  Upper  and  Lower  Basin.     Probably  the  groups  of  springs  in 

35  Seil  ed-Dilbeh  are  meant. 

(15)  0^  4,11.     The  Kenites  were  a   branch   of  the   Amalekite   stock.     They  16 
had  settlements  in  the  Negeb  on  the  south  of  Judah,  part  of  which  was  called 
by    their    name    (i  Sam.  27,10;    ef.  30,29),    but   were   at    least    semi-nomadic, 
roaming   with  Amalek  in  the  southern  deserts  (i  Sam.  15,  6 j.     Unlike  the  Ama- 

40  lekites,  they  lived  on  friendly  terms  with  Israel  (see  the  passages  cited  above); 
only  Num.  24,21  f.  breathes  a  different  spirit.  In  J  it  seems  that  Moses  was 
connected  liy  marriage  with  this  people,  and  that  Hobab,  his  father-in-law,  guided 
Israel  through  the  desert  (Num.  10 ,  29-32 ).  (In  E  Moses'  father-in-law  is 
Jethro,  the  Midianite. )  According  to  our  verse,  the  family  of  Hobab  accom- 
45  panied  Judah  in  the  Invasion,  and  then,  wandering  farther  to  the  south,  joined 
the  Amalekites.     Another  family  of  the  clan  is  found  in  the  north  (4,  11). 

The    Palm     City    is    Jericho,    Deut.  34,3;    2  Chron.  28 ,  15.      The    palms    of 
Jericho,  celebrated  in  antiquity,  have  now  entirely  disappeared. 

The  Amalekites  were   the   wild   Bedouins   of  the  southern  deserts,  bearing  a 
50  reputation   much   like   that   of  the   modern   Azazimeh   in   the    same    region ;    see 
further,  note  on  6,3. 

Arad  (Num.  21,  i)  is  believed  to  be    Tcl'Arad,   16  miles  south  of  Hebron. 

(16)  Zephath  only  here;  Hormah,   Num.   21,3;  i  Sam.  30,30;  Josh.  15,30;  17 
19,4;  &c.;   the  site   is  unknown.     The  name  Hormah   probably  signified  Invio- 

55  table,  Holy  City,  the  author  interprets  it  Devoted  City. 


l,iS-35  — -j-j-es^JSJi- (Jlofce  on  ^uiqte 'ifm^s^*<' —  50 

(17)  V.  iS,  which  ascribes  to  Judah  the  conquest  of  the  coast-plain,  conflicts  I,  iS 
witli  vv.  ig   and   34;   cf.  3,3  and  Josh.  13,3.      It  is,  as   the   diction   also  shows, 
an  editorial  addition  of  the  same  kind  as  v.  8. 

(kS)  vv.  19.21    probably  stood,    in   the   original    conte.xt,    immediately   after  19 
5  V.  7,   either  in  this  order  or  perhaps   7. 21. 19.     The   P/ai/i  is,   as   in   v.  34,   the 
coast-plain,  west  of  Judah. 

(19)  V.  20  originally  preceded  v.  10 ;   see   note   on   the   latter  verse,   and   i/.   20 
Josh.  15,  13  ff. 

T/ie  three  giants;   often  misunderstood:  Sons  of  (a  giant  named)  Anak. 
10  (20)  See  note  on  v.  19.     In  Josh.  15,63,   where  this  verse  occurs  otherwise  21 

verbatim,  we   find,    in   place   of  the    Bcnjamitcs,  the  Judahitcs.    which    is   doubt- 
less original.     Benjamin  is  substituted  in  Jud.  in   conformity  with   the   theory  of 
the   partition   of  the   land   which    included  Jerusalem   within   the   borders  of  that 
tribe. 
15  (21)  Including    Benjamin,    and    perhaps    Issachar,   as   well    as    Ephraim    and  22 

Manasseh. 

(22  j  Luz,  Gen.  28  ,  19  ;  35  , 6 ;  Josh.  18,13;  &c.  23 

(23)  See  note  on  3,3.     The  site  of  the  northern  Luz  is  unknown.  26 

(24)  Beth-shcan,    cf.   Josh.  17,16.      It    is    the    modern    Bcisdn,    commanding  27 
20  the    passage    from   the   Jordan   Valley  to   the  Great    Plain. —  Taanach  (Ta'anuk; 

see  the  full  page  illustration  facing  p.  10,  in  which  the  village  of  Ta'anuk  is  seen 
on  the  top  of  the  middle  hill  in  the  background)  and  Megiddo  (Lejjun),  fre- 
quently named  together,  lie  on  the  main  road  along  the  southern  edge  of  the 
Plain,    the  latter  commanding   also  one   of  the  principal  passages   from   the  sea- 

25  coast  into  the  Plain. —  Ibleam  (Bel'ameh)  lies  on  the  main  road  from  the  Plain 
south  to  Samaria,  and  near  another  of  the  chief  routes  from  the  coast. —  Dor 
(Tantiirah),  on  the  sea-coast,  south  of  Carmel. — These  cities,  occupying  strategic 
positions,  separated  the  tribes  of  Joseph,  in  the  Central  Highlands,  from  the 
Great   Plain,   and   from   the   tribes  which   lay   north    of  it   in  Galilee ;    they  were 

30  not  all  in  the  possession  of  Israelites  till  after  the  establishment  of  the  kingdom. 

(25)  A  system   of  compulsory  labor   (corvee)   upon   public  works   or   in   the  28 
king's    service   (i  Kings  9,  15.  20  ff.;    S,i3f),    such    as   the   Israelites   themselves 
were  subjected  to  in  Egypt. 

(26)  Cf.  Josh.  16,10,   where   the  original   text  of  J   is  more  completely  pre-  29 
35  served.     Gezer,  on  the  SW  border  of  Ephraim,  still  independent  in  David's  time, 

was  conquered  by  the  Egyptians  in  the  reign  of  Solomon,  and  presented  to 
his  queen,  Pharaoh's  daughter  f i  K.  9, 15- 17).  It  is  the  modern  Tct  Jezer, 
between  'Anizvds  (Nicopolis)  M^A'Agir  (Ekron). 

(27)  Zebulun  settled  in  the  we.stern  part  of  Lower  Galilee;  the  places  named  30 
40  have  not  been  identified.  (28)  See  note  25. 

(29)  Asher  settled  the  Hir/ter/and  of  the  Phcenician  coast  {cf  5 ,  17).— .'/cf/w,  31 
in  New  Testament  times   named   Ptoleniais  (Acts  21,7),  modern  ' Akkd  (Acre), 
on   the  coast  north   of  the   headland   of  Carmel. — Ac/izib,   now  ez-Zib,   between 
Acre   and  Tyre.— A/i/afi,   Hclhah   (possibly  variants  of  the  same  name),  Afiliik, 

45  and  Rchob  are  still  unidentified.  The  first  was  probably  on  the  coast,  the  last 
two  further  inland. 

(30)  Nafihlali  settled  in  the  eastern  part  of  Upper  Galilee,  north  of  Zebulun  n 
and   Issachar,    and   east   of  Asher.— Bet/i-ana//i,    which    had    its    name    from   the 
worship  of  the  goddess  Anath  (c/.  note  on  3,31),   may  be  the  modern  'Ainit/ia, 

50  six  miles  N\V  of  Kedesh  in  Naphtali.  The  site  of  Bctli-shcmcsh,  sacred  to  the 
Sun,  is  not  known. 

(31)  Cf.  v.  19;  Josh.  17,16.     The  Danites  first  tried   to  establish  themselves  35 
on  the  southwest  of  Ephraim  ;    but  succeeded  in  occupying  only  a  small  district 
around  Zorah  and  Eshtaol  (cc.  13-161.     The  greater  part  of  the  tribe  afterwards 


51  — ■>*e«tSSs- {Jlo<c0  on  ^"''S'*  ^®S*§eM-^-  1,36-2,5 

migrated  to  the  head-waters  of  the  Jordan,  where  they  conquered  Laish,  and  i 
renamed  it  Dan  (cc.  17.18;  Josh.  19,47  f.). — The  Amorites  are  the  native  pop- 
ulation of  Western  Palestine,  who  in  the  preceding  part  of  the  chapter  are  called 
Canaanites.  The  change  of  name  here  has  not  been  satisfactorily  explained. — 
5  Har-hercs  seems  to  be  the  same  as  Beth-shemesh  (i  Kings  4,9,  &c. )  or  Ir- 
shemesh  (Josh.  19,41),  the  modern  'Ain  Shenis. — Aijalon,  now  Ydlo,  is  about 
two  miles  east  of  'Amwds.  The  two  places  command  the  descent  from  the  hills 
to  the  plain  by  Wadies  Qirdr  and  Selindn. — Sliaalhim  is  not  identified. 

(32)  The  Edoniites  adjoined  the  territory  of  Judah  on  the  southeast. — The  36 
10  Akrabhiin  Pass  ('Scorpion  Pass'),  probably  Nagb  t'(-fafd,  by  which  the  main 
road  from  Edom  to  Hebron  ascends. — The  later  Nabatean  capital,  Pelra,  with 
which  Sela  is  generally  identified,  is  much  too  far  south  to  be  the  place  meant 
in  our  text,  which  we  should  look  for  near  the  southern  end  of  the  Dead  Sea ; 
perhaps  in  eg-^dfieh.     It  is  doubtful  whether  the  end  of  the  verse  is  intact. 

15  (Zi)    The  Messenger  of  Ji  an,  2,i 

the   appearance   of  Jhvh    Himself,  ^^sT^ljCl- CDO/= 

usually    in    human    form ;    a   theo- 

phany  ;  f/".  6  ,  11  ff". ;  13  ,  3  ff.  and  the 

note   on   Is.  63,9.  —  Gilgal,  in  the 
20  Jordan    valley    near    Jericho,    the 

standing    camp     of   the    Israelites 

after  they    first  crossed  the  river. 

The   name   was  probably  given    it 

from  an  old  stone  circle  or  crom- 
25  lech. —  To  Beth-el,  in  the  times  of 

the    kingdom     one     of    the     most 

famous  sanctuaries  in  Central  Pales-  Palestinian  cromlech.' 

tine.     The  original  sequel  of  these 

words  was  v.  5b,  and  they  ojfered  sacrifice  there  to  Jhvh.    The  theophany  marked 
30  the  spot  as  a  holy  place  of  Jhvh  ;  it  was  inaugurated  by  sacrifice. 

(34)  With  the  following  reproof  of  the  Messenger  cf.  6,7-10;  10,11-16; 
iSam.  7,3f. ;  10,17-19;  12,6-25.  It  is  made  up  of  reminiscences  of  older 
texts;  cf.v.i  with  Exod.  34,i3f;  23,2if;  v.  3  with  Josh.  23,13  (itself  late); 
Exod.  34,12;  Deut.  7,16;  &c.      The  reference  to  the   forefathers   is  common  in 

35  Deuteronomy  and  Deuteronomistic  editors. 

(35)  Exod.  34,13:    Pull  doivn  their  altars,  and  break  in  pieces  their  (stone)  2 
pillars,  and  heiv  dozun  their  sacred  poles.      It  has  been  suspected  that  the  text 
in  Jud.  has   been  accidentally  mutilated   by  a   copyist ;   but  it  is  at  least  equally 
possible  that  it  was  abridged  by  the  author  of  the  verses. 

40  (36)  The  parallels  have  a  fuller  text:   A  scourge  on  your  flanks  and  thorns  3 

/;/  your  eyes  (Josh.  23,13);    thortts  in  your  sides  (Num.  33,55).     The  received 

Hebrew  text  here:  they  shall  be  sides  to  you. 

(37)  That  is.    Weepers.      Cf.   the  etymological   legends  attaching  themselves  5 

to  local  names  in  15,14-19.      The   name  which   is   the   subject   of  the   iMidrash 
45  in  our  verse  may  have  been   Bekaivi   (cf.  2  Sam.  5,23f  );  cf.  also  Alton  Bacuih 

(Gen.  35,8,  below  Beth-el),  and  the  Valley  of  Baca  (Ps.  84,6). 


52  ^*4«*S8i-  (Jlotce  on  ^ui^te  ^i^Jg3*« — 

(Tlotee  on  2, 6-16, 31. 

The  History  of  Israel  under  the  Judges  covers  the  period  from  the  death 
of  Joshua  (2,8)  to  that  of  Samson  (i6,3of. ).  The  general  character  of  the 
times  is  described  in  the  introduction,  2,6-3,6.  No  sooner  were  the  Israehtes 
5  fairly  settled  in  the  land  than  they  abandoned  the  God  of  their  fathers,  Jhvh, 
for  the  worship  of  the  gods  of  Canaan  or  of  the  neighboring  nations.  For  this, 
Jhvh  delivered  them  to  their  enemies,  who  subdued  and  oppressed  them. 
When  they  were  reduced  to  extremities,  He  sent  a  leader,  or  champion,  who 
freed  them  from  the  yoke  of  their  oppressors,  only  to  fall   again  into  the  same 

10  sins  and  bring  on  themselves  the  same  calamities  (see  above,  p.  43,  1.  8).  The 
periods  of  the  history  are  marked  by  these  successive  oppressions  and  deliver- 
ances, each  of  which,  as  the  author  does  not  fail  to  note,  illustrates  and  confirms 
the  characterization  given  in  the  introduction  (see  3,7-11.12-15;  4,  iff.;  6, 
I -ID;  10,6-16;  13,1).     The  chronology  follows  this  division:   it  gives  us,   in 

15  the  case  of  each  of  the  greater  Judges,  the  duration  of  the  oppression  which 
preceded  the  deliverance,  and  of  the  peace  and  security  which  succeeded  it 
under  the  rule  of  the  Judge  ;  and  these  data  were  doubtless  meant  to  be  under- 
stood as  continuous.  The  following  conspectus  exhibits,  therefore,  both  the 
outline  of  the  history  and  the  structure  of  the  Book: 

20  Introduction, 

Oppression  by  Cushan-rishathaim, 

Deliverance  by  Othniel ;  peace. 
Oppression  by  Eglon,   King  of  Moab, 
Deliverance  by  Ehud  ;  peace, 
25  Shamgar  kills  600  Philistines, 

Oppression  by  the  Canaanites  (Jabin  and  Sisera),  20  years. 

Deliverance  by  Deborah  and  Barak  ;  peace, 
Oppression  by  the  Midianites, 
Deliverance  by  Gideon;  peace, 
30  Abimelech.  King  in  Shechem, 

Tola  judges  Israel 
Jair  judges  Israel 
Oppression  by  the  Ammonites, 

Deliverance  by  Jeplithah ;  he  judges  Israel 
35  Ibzan  judges  Israel 

Elon  judges  Israel 
Abdon  judges  Israel 
Oppression  by  the  Philistines, 
Samson  vexes  the  Philistines,  and  judges  Israel  20  years.     13- 16 

40  The  religious  interpretation  and  judgment  of  the  history   in   2,6-3,6  and 

in  the  introductions  to  the  stories  of  the  several  Judges  is  in  general  that  of  the 
Deuteronomistic  historians,  and  bears  considerable  resemblance  to  the  commen- 
tary on  the  history  of  the  monarchy  in  the  Books  of  Kings  (</.  e.  g:  2  Kings 
17,6  ff.).     It  is  plainly   intended    to    impress    on    the   readers   of  the   Book  the 

45  great  lesson  that  unfaithfulness  to  the  religion  of  Jhvh  has  for  its  unvar>'ing 
consetjuence  national  calamities ;  God  withdraws  His  protection,  and  leaves 
Israel  a  prey  to  its  foes  ;  but  with  it  also  the  lesson  of  Jhvh's  unfailing  readiness 
to  come  to  the  help  of  His  people,  when  in  their  deep  distress  tliey  turn  to 
Him.     This   interpretation   of  history   as   God's   moral   dealing  with   His   people, 

50  and  the  use  of  it  to  illustrate  and  enforce  moral  and  religious  lessons,  is  the 
fruit  of  the  teaching  of  the  Prophets,  and,  in  this  form,  has  its  closest  parallels 
in  the  Books  of  Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel,  and  in  the  Exilic  additions  to  Deut- 
eronomy.     The     composition     of    Jud.  2 , 6- 16 ,  31     (often     called,     from     these 


2,6- 

-3.6 

8  years, 

40  years. 

3.7- 

-  II 

18  years, 

80  years. 

12- 
31 

30 

20  years. 

40  years, 

4  5 

7  years. 

40  years, 

6-8 

3  years. 

9 

23  years. 

10. 1- 

-2 

22  years. 

3- 

-5 

18  years. 

6  years. 

10.6- 

12, 

7  years. 

12,8- 

- 10 

10  years. 

II  - 

- 12 

8  years. 

13- 

-15 

40  years, 

— »*e^egas-  (Pofca  on  ^uigca  <-**§6*«-s —  53 

peculiarities,  the  Deuieronoinic  Book  of  Judges)  may  therefore  with  some  confi- 
dence be  ascribed  to  the  6'h  century  B.  c,  probably  somewhat  later  than  the 
redaction  of  the  Books  of  Kings. 

Numerous   repetitions   and   slight   but   appreciable  differences  of  diction  and 
point  of  view,  in   the   Introduction  (2,6-3,6)  and   in  the   introductions   to   the  5 
histories   of   the  several    Judges,    especially   the   longer    ones,    6,1-10   and    10, 
6-16,  indicate  that  these  parts  of  the  Book  are  not  entirely  the  work  of  a  single 
author.     Many  critics  are  of  the  opinion  that  these   phenomena   are  due,  mainly 
if  not  wholly,   to  that  kind   of   interpolation,    enlarging   upon   and    emphasizing 
the   original   text,  to   which   the   Deuteronomistic    moralizing,    here    as    in    other  10 
Books,  presented  a  peculiar   temptation ;    in  this  work  of  retouching  and  height- 
ening, the  editor  of  the  present  enlarged   Book   of  Judges   may   have  had  the 
chief  part.     Others   think   that   the   Deuteronomistic   author   himself  took   as   the 
basis  of  his  work  an  older  collection  of  Lives  of  the  Judges,   in  which  his  way 
of   interpreting    and    commenting    on    the    history    was    preformed.      Upon   the  15 
former   hypothesis,  the  alien  elements  in  the  introduction  and  the  setting  of  the 
stories  are   later  than   the   composition   of   the    Deuteronomic    Book   of  Judges ; 
upon  the  latter,  they  would  be  older.     See  above,  p.  46. 

The  stories  of  Ehud,  Deborah  and  Barak,  Gideon  and  Abimelech,  Jephthah, 
and  Samson  were  not  written   or  rewritten  by  the  Deuteronomistic  author,  but  20 
were  taken   from  older  sources ;   scarcely  a  trace  of  D's  distinctive  literary  style 
or  moralizing  is  to  be  discovered  in  them.     They   remind   us   of  the   Prophetical 
narratives   of   the   lives    of   the    patriarchs    in    Genesis,    and    still    more    closely 
resemble   the   histories   of  Samuel,    Saul,    and   David   in   the    Books    of   Samuel, 
with   which   they   are   doubtless   coeval.     Slight   differences  among  the  stories   in  25 
diction  and   tone  might  be  naturally   explained   by  reference   to   their   ultimate, 
and    not    very    remote,    source    in    unwritten    tradition,    and    would    not    prove 
diversity   of  literary   origin.     But  the  story  of  Gideon  is  clearly  composite ;   two 
originally   independent   narratives   have   been   combined   by   a  redactor ;   and  the 
same   thing   is   probably   true   of  more   than   one   of   the    others.     At    least    two  30 
older   written    sources,    therefore,    were    drawn    upon    for    the    histories    of   the 
Judges,    and   in   some   instances  the   parallel   narratives   had   been   united   before 
they   came   into   the  hands  of  the  Deuteronomic  author.     The  similarity  of  these 
phenomena   to   those   which   exist   in   the   Hexateuch,  where   the   narratives   of  J 
and  E  were  united  by  a  pre-Deuterononiic  redactor  R-l"^,  has  led  to  the  surmise  35 
that  in  Judges   also   the   two   chief  sources   from   which   the   stories   are   derived 
were  the  works  of  J  and  E,  which  were  united  by   an   editor   in   a   pre-Deutero- 
nomic   Book   of  Judges.     To  this   redactor  the  non-Deuteronomistic  elements  in 
the   Introduction  and  the  setting  of  the  stories   might  then  be,  at  least  in  part, 
ascribed.      The    hypothesis    receives  support  from   a   closer  examination  of  the  40 
tales   themselves.     In   the  story   of  Samson  some  noteworthy  reseinblances  to  J 
in   the   Hexateuch   have   been   pointed   out;   in  other  places,  as  in  10,6-16,  we 
are  strongly   reminded   of  E.     The   evidence   for   the   identification   of  the   main 
sources    of  Judges    with    J    and   E    is,    however,    far    from    demonstrative ;    the 
question   is   still   a   disputed   one.      The    same   question   arises   in   the   Books   of  45 
Samuel  also,  part  of  which  seems,  at  one  period  in  the  history  of  the  Books,  to 
have  been   included   in   a    Book   of   Judges, —  the   present   division    is    compara- 
tively late. 

Of    the    so-called    Minor   Judges,    Tola,    Jair   (10,1-5),    Ibzan,    Elon,    and 
Abdon    (12,8-15),   we   have   only   brief  notices,  like   extracts   from  a   chronicle.  50 
giving  the   name   and   clan,    the   number   of  years   each  Judged  Israel,    and   the 
place    where    he    was    buried,    in    formulas    differing    from   those   by  which   the 
histories   of   the    other    Judges  are   introduced  and  closed.      To  these  standing 


2,6-9  — »*^^Ki- (Jlofca  on  ^ub^ee  ■afffm^-t''^-  54 

data  there  is  added,  in  some  instances,  a  sentence  or  two  about  the  numerous 
posterity,  matrimonial  alliances,  and  possessions  of  the  Judge,  which  are  of 
such  a  nature  as  to  confirm  the  conjecture  which  the  names  themselves  suggest, 
that  these  Judges  are  in  reality  not  individuals  but  clans.  Comparison  of  the  set 
5  phrases  in  these  verses  with  12,7;  15,20;  i. Sam.  4,18;  7,15,  has  led  some 
critics  to  infer  that  the  notices  of  the  Minor  Judges  are  ultimately  derived  from 
one  of  the  older  sources  of  the  Book  of  Judges.  Others  are  of  the  opinion  that 
they  were  invented  by  the  last  editor  to  make  up  the  number  of  twelve  Judges. 
The   question   is  of  importance  cliiefly  in  connection  with  the   chronology  of  the 

10  Book.  The  account  of  the  subjugation  of  Israel  by  Cushan-rishathaim  and  its 
deliverance  by  Othniel  (3,7-11)  consists  almost  entirely  of  the  characteristic 
formulas  of  the  Deuteronomistic  author,  and  seems  to  have  been  composed  by 
him  as  a  typical  example  to  illustrate  his  view  of  the  whole  history  as  set 
forth   in  2,6-3,6. — Shaingar  (7,,t,\)  was  introduced  by  a  later  editor,  and  is  not 

15  included  in  the  chronological  scheme. 

(Itotee  on  2,6-3,6. 

This  Introduction  contains  a  general  survey  of  the  history  of  the  whole 
period  of  the  Judges  (see  above,  p.  52),  which  it  represents  as  "an  almost 
rhythmical   alternation   of  idolatry  and  subjugation,    return  to  Jhvh  and  libera- 

20  tion"  (\'atke).  The  text  is  not  homogeneous,  as  is  proved  by  the  numerous 
repetitions,  and  still  more  conclusively  by  the  conflicting  reasons  given  in 
2,20-3,6  for  Jhvh's  leaving  some  of  the  native  nations  within  the  limits  of 
Palestine.  In  2,23;  3,2».5f.  we  have  fragments  of  J,  which  may  have  formed 
the   conclusion   of  c.  i,  explaining  why  Jhvh  did  not  enable  the  tribes  to  expel 

25  the  Canaanites  all  at  once;  cf.  Exod.  23,29  f.;  Dent.  7 ,  22  f.  The  verses  have 
passed  through  the  hands  of  more  than  one  editor ;  the  catalogue  of  nations 
in  3,51)  is  probably  an  addition  by  RJ^,  to  whom  also  3,6  may  owe  its  present 
form.  The  verses  2,6.8 -10  (  =  Josh.  24,28-30)  are  beyond  doubt  from  E;  the 
continuation  of  this  source  is  found   in   2,  13.  20  f,  which  was   probably  followed 

30  by  3,4.  To  the  auUior  of  the  Deuteronomistic  Book  of  Judges  (D)  may  be 
ascribed  2,  7.  1:='.  12. 14  (in  the  main).  15.  18  f.  22  ;  3,i".3.  In  these  verses, 
which  exhibit  throughout  the  distinctive  peculiarities  of  D's  diction  and  point 
of  view,  the  history  of  the  whole  following  period  is  briefly  characterized  as  a 
series   of  apostasies.     E,  on   the   contrary,  narrates   the   first   defection,    after  the 

35  death  of  Joshua,  with  its  consequences.  The  representation  of  D  has  been 
heightened  by  a  later  hand  in  2,14"*.  16  f  The  color  given  to  these  verses  in 
the  text  (VELLOW)  signifies  only  that  they  were  added  by  a  post-Exilic  editor, 
not  necessarily  the  same  w-hose  hand  is  recognized  in  1,8.  :8;  2,i''-5=';  a 
remark   which   applies  also   to   3,i''.2tJ.     D   appears   to   have   worked   upon   the 

40  basis  of  E,   not  to  have  been  combined  with   it  liy  a  tliird  hand. 

( I )  After    the    .great    assembly    and    solemn    renewal    of    the    covenant    at  2 , 
Shechem,  Josh.  24.     \'V.  6.8.  9  =  Josh.  24,  2S-30;  the  repetition  was  occasioned 
by  the   introduction  of  Jud.   1,1-2,5.      According   to  this  narrative,    the    land 
had  been  completely  conquered  and  divided  among  the  tribes. 
45  (2)    The  great    zvork   of  J/ir/r  includes    the    deliverance    from    Egypt,    the  7 

wandering,  and   the   conquest,  of  all    which  Joshua's   generation    had    been    wit- 
nesses;  cf.  Deut.  11,2-7. 

(3)    Timnalli-heirs,  in  Josh.  24 ,  30 ;    19,50,  corrupted   to   Timnath-.wv-fl/;.     It  9 
is  the  modern   Tibiie/i,  N\V   o{  Jifiid  (Gophna),  on  one  of  the  main  roads  from 
50  the  coast  into  the  Highlands  of  Ephraim  (Beth-el).     On  the  side  of  the  hill  over 
against  the  town  are   remarkable   rock-tombs.      Local    tradition    in    the   Middle 


55 


mSf-  Qtotce  on  ^ui^ce  ^es»^M«^ 


2  ,  10-14 


Ages  fixed  on  a  site  nearer  Shechem,  at  Awerteh  or  Kefr  Harilh  ;  some  recent  2 
scholars   have  revived  the  latter  identification. —  Mount  Gaask,  cf.  2  Sam.  23,30. 

(4)  The   original  reference   is  to  the  family    sepulchre.      Like    the    cognate  10 
e.xpressions,  be  gathered  to  his  people,  go  to  his  fathers,  sleep   with   his  fathers, 

it  becomes  a  mere  circumlocution  for  die. 

(5)  Lit.,  did  the  thing  that  was  evil  in  the  eyes  of  Jhi'H,  a  standing  formula  11 
in  the  introductions  to  the  stories  of  the  several   [udges. 


ROCK-TOMBS    OF    TIBNEH. 


(6)  Baal  and  Astarte ;    cf.   10.6;    i  Sam.   7,4;   12,  lo;  see   also  Jud.  3,7.   13 
Baal  means  proprietor,  possessor  of  something.     The  Baal  of  a  place,  e.  g.  the 

10  Baal  of  Tyre,  Sidon,  Lebanon,  &c.,  is  the  god  to  whom  it  belongs,  just  as  the 
citizens  of  a  town  are  its  bdal'im  (proprietors,  e.g.  9,2.3).  There  were  thus 
innumerable  Baals,  some  of  them  having  a  proper  name,  like  Melqart,  the 
Baal  of  Tyre,  or  some  distinctive  attribute  or  title  ;  others  distinguished  solely 
by  the   place   where   they   were   worshiped.      The   Baal   of   any    particular  com- 

15  munity  v\ould  ordinarily  be  spoken  of  in  that  community  simply  as  the  Baal. 
When  we  speak  of  Baal  as  the  principal  god  of  the  Canaanites,  it  is  not  to 
be  understood  that  there  was  one  god,  Baal,  whom  all  the  Canaanites  wor- 
shiped, but  that  the  many  local  divinities  were  all  called  by  this  significant 
name.     In   the  OT  the  plural  is  often  used,  the  Baals,  i.  e.  the  gods  of  Canaan  ; 

20  less  frequently,  the  generic  singular,  as  here. — Astarte,  Phoenician  'Ashtart,  in 
the  Received  Text  pronounced  'Ashtdreth,  the  great  goddess  of  the  Semitic 
peoples,  Babylonian  and  Assyrian  Ishtar,  Syrian  'Athar,  South  Arabian  ' Athtar 
(masc).  With  these  names  many  scholars  would  connect  the  Greek  Aphrodite. 
Numerous   inscriptions   from   Phoenicia  and  its  colonies,  as  well  as  the  testimony 

25  of  the  OT  and,  in  later  times,  of  Greek  and  Roman  writers,  show  how  great 
a  place  the  worship  of  this  deity  had  in  the  religion  of  the  peoples  of  Canaan. 
In  the  OT  the  plural  is  frequently  used,  especially  in  conjunction  with  the 
Baals,  as  equivalent  to  goddesses,  a  conception  for  which  the  Hebrew  language 
has  no  word.     In  Assyrian,  Ishtar  ( sing,  and  plur. )  is  used  in  a  similar  way. 

30  (7)  Was  incensed,  &c..  r/^  20;  3,8;   10,7;  &c.  —  .Spoilers,   16;  i  Sam.  14,48;   14 

2  Kings  17 ,  20.  —  Sold  them.   &c.,   3,8:  4,2;   10 ,  7  ;   i  Sam.  12,9;  &c. 


2  .  15^3  >  3  — **6i3^Sc-  (Tlotca  on  2"^3'*  -!i5jT?eM-» —  56 

(8)  The   reference   is   not  to   any  specific   threat,  but  to  the  whole   tenor  of  2  ,  15 
the  Deuteronomic  warnings;  see  e.g.,  Deut.  28,20.30-34;  cf.  Is.  30,  17. 

(9)  The  Judges  are   the  champions  whom  Jhvh  raises  up  to  vindicate  and  i5 
deliver   Israel.       liut   as    Saul's   relief  of  Jabesh    in   Gilead   made   him    king,    so, 

5  in  the  theory  of  the  compilers  and  editors  of  this  Book,  the  Judges,  after  they 
had  rid  their  country  of  its  oppressors,  ruled  it  for  the  rest  of  their  lives. 
Ui)on  this  basis,  as  has  been  noted  above,  the  chronology  of  the  Book  is 
based.  So,  too,  the  Minor  Judges  form  a  regular  succession.  In  vv.  16 .  17, 
accordingly,  the   Israelites  are  accused   of  resisting  the   efforts   of  their  divinely 

10  constituted  rulers  to  reclaim  them  from  their  evil  way ;  a  somewhat  different 
representation  from  that  of  v.  19,  according  to  which  they  relapsed  at  the  death 
of  the  Judge. — It  is  natural  enough  that  the  leader  in  a  successful  war  of 
liberation,  or  the  hero  of  some  daring  exploit,  should  gain  a  great  authority, 
which   might  be   formally   acknowledged,   as   in   the   cases   of  Gideon   and  Jeph- 

15  thah  ;  but  the  error  of  the  editor's  theory  is  that  it  makes  of  the  heroes  of 
local  struggles,  deliverers  and  rulers  of  all  Israel. 

(10)  Went  astray  (or  in  faithlessness);   see  the  note  on  Lev.  17,7  and  com-  17 
pare  Jud.  8,27.33;   Exod.  34,15.16;  Deut.  31,16;  &c.     The   worship  of  other 
gods  is  described,  in  a  figure  which  was  suggested  to  Hosea  by  his  own   bitter 

20  experience  (Hos.  1-3),  as  the  unfaithfulness  of  a  wife  who  abandons  her  hus- 
band to  run  after  other  lovers  and  prostitute  herself  to  them. 

(11)  VV.   1S.19    set    forth    succinctly    the    scheme    of   the    Deuteronomistic  18.19 
Book   of  Judges,    illustrated    by    the    histories    of   the    successive    Judges    from 
Othniel  to  Samson. 

25  (12)  The   verses  are  the  continuation  of  6.S-10.13  (E).     The   consequence  20.21 

of  Israel's  speedy  lapse  into  heathenism  upon  the  death  of  Joshua  was  that 
Jhvh  determined  not  to  let  them  complete  the  subjugation  of  Palestine  ;  the 
regions  which  Joshua  had  not  conquered  should  remain  in  the  possession  of 
their  old   inhabitants,  partly   as   a   punishment  .for  the   defecdon  of  that  genera- 

30  tion,  parUy  as  a  standing  test  of  Israel's  loyalty  in  the  future  to  Jhvh  and 
His  religion.  The  latter  motive  is  declared  in  v.  22,  in  terms  which  are  unmis- 
takably Deuteronomistic ;  and  in  3 , 4,  which  is  on  this  account  ascribed  to  E  ; 
see  also  3,  !=>. 

(13)  J/irif  left  tliese  peoples,    &c.     The  words   can   only  refer  to  something  23 
35  which  precedes ;    if  they  are  correctly  attributed  to  J,    they  would  form  a  natural 

close  to  c.  I.  The  second  half-verse  is  a  harmonistic  addition  which  does  not 
harmonize. 

(14)  These  two  parentheses  are  glosses,  probably  of  the  same  origin.  3.1-2 

(15)  The   nations   of  Canaan   were   to  be   driven   out  gradually   in   order   to  2 
40  teach  the  succeeding  generations  of  Israel  the   arts  of  war,  and  constrain  them 

to  cultivate  military  discipline.  Another,  perhaps  preferable,  restoration  of  the 
text  is:  merely  in  order  that  the  Israelites  might  have  experience  of  war;  the 
sense  is  not  materially  different. 

(16)  Many  critics   think   that   this   list  of  nations   is   derived   from    the   same  3 
45  source  as   2,23";  3,2a;   but  it  does  not  accord  with  the  representation   in  c.  i, 

and  has  its  closest  parallel  in  Jos.  13,2  ff.  ['D).—  The  five  princes  of  the  Philis- 
tines, see  I  Sam.  6,16-18;  the  rulers  of  the  cities  of  Gaza,  Ashkelon,  Ashdod, 
Gath,  Ekron,  in  the  coast-plain  west  of  Judah.— The  Canaanites,  in  E  and  D 
particulariy  the  inhabitants  of  the  lowlands  of  Southwestern  Palestine;  see  Num. 
5013,29;  Deut.  1,7;  Josh.  5,  I  ;  r/".  Josh.  13,3.4;  2  Sam.  24,7;  Zeph.  2.  5.— The 
Plurnicians,  occupying  the  maritime  jilain  from  Mount  Carmel  north,  with  the 
cities  of  Tyre,  Sidon,  Ike— The  Hi-ttntes,  itihabiting  the  range  of  Lebanon;  by 
an  accident  of  transcription  which  occurs  also  in  Josh.  11,3,  the  Received  Text 


57 


•  (Tlofca  on  ^uftgcB  •ss*§3** — 


3.5-IO 


names  the   Hivviles,  a  petty  people   of  Southern  Palestine,  whose  seats  were  in  3 
the   vicinity   of  Jerusalem  (see  v.  5"). — Mount  Baal  Hcrmon,  not  far  from   the 
sources   of   the  Jordan,  was   their   southern  limit;    they  extended   northward   in 
the  Lebanon  and  Ccele-Syria  to  the  neighborhood  of  Hamath. 
5  (17)   The   verses    are    substantially   from   J;    the   catalogue    in   5b    (differing  5.6 

entirely  from  that  in  3)  has  been  supplemented  by  an  editor,  as  in  many  similar 
cases;  cf.  Deut.  7,  i.  The  Israelites  intermarried  with  these  people,  and,  as  a 
consequence,  adopted  their  religion;  see  Exod.  34,  16;   Deut.  7,3  f ;  Josh.  23,  12. 

(}to<C6  on  3,7-u. 

10  The   account  of  the  oppression  of  Israel  by  the  Syrians  and    its   deliverance 

by  Othniel  is  Deuteronomistic  throughout,  written  by  the  author  of  2,11  f  14  f 
18  f,  as  a  typical  example.  Besides  the  standing  formulas  of  D  and  his  chro- 
nology, it  contains  only  the  names  of  Othniel  (1,13;  Josh.  15,17),  and  Cushan- 
risliathaini,  King  of  Syria  on  the  Euphrates.     The  latter  is  not  Mesopotamia,  /.  c. 

15  the  whole  area  included  between  the  Euphrates  and  the  Tigris,  from  the  mountains 
of  Ai^menia  to  tlie  latitude  of  Babylon,  but  the  much  smaller  region  on  the 
upper  Euphrates,  extending  eastward  perhaps  to  the  Chab6ras  [Khdbur),  and 
probably  including  also  a  strip  of  varying  breadth  on  the  west  side  of  the  river. 
Cushan  occurs  elsewhere  only  as  the  name  of  a  nomadic  tribe  cognate  to  Midian 

20  (Hab.  3,7;  ef.  Num.  12,  i).  A  Syrian  invasion  from  which  the  Israelites  were 
delivered  by  Othniel,  whose  seats  were  at  Debir  in  the  extreme  south,  is  too 
improbable  to  be  accepted  without  better  attestation  than  it  possesses.  If  the 
verses  have  any  historical  basis,  it  may  be  surmised  that  it  was  an  account 
of  an   inroad   of  the    Bedouins   from    the   Southeast    (Cushan),    repulsed   by  the 

25  Kenizzites  of  Debir  (Othniel).  It  has  been  further  suggested  that  Syria,  Heb. 
Aram  (v.  10)  may  have  arisen,  by  a  confusion  of  which  there  are  many  other 
instances  in  the  OT,  from  an  original  Edotn  (Gratz);  Syria  on  the  Euphrates, 
Heb.  Aram-nahardim  {cf.  the  title  of  Ps.  60),  in  v.  8  would  then  be  a  second 
stage  in  the  progress  of  the  error.     See  also  p.  90,  1.  22. 


30  (i)    The  Baals  and  the  Asherahs \  see  note  on  2, 13.     Asherah  stands  beside  7 

Baal  here  precisely  as  Astarte  does  elsewhere  (2,  13;  10,6;   i  Sam.  7,4;  12.  10), 

post  or  pole  which 


ASHERAH    ANn   SACRED   TREE. 


Stood  at  the  place 
'f  worship  (see 
note  on  6,25). 
Such  sacred  poles 
;ire  frequently  re- 
I'lesented  on  an- 
cient Oriental  seal- 
cylinders   as  shown 


and  must  be,  as  in 
I  Kings  18, 19;  2 
Kings      23 , 4,     the 

35  name  of  a  divinity. 
In  by  far  the  great- 
er number  of  pas- 
sages, however,  the 
asherah       (appella- 

40  tive)   is   the   sacred 

in  the  accompanying  engraving.  These  poles  were  not  the  symbols  of  any 
particular  divinity,  e.g.  Astarte;  they  were  erected  beside  the  altars  of  Jhvh 
as  well  as  Baal ;  and  there  is  good  reason  to  doubt  whether  a  goddess  Asherah 
ever  existed,  except  as  the  sacred  pole  itself  was  an  object  of  worship. 

45  (2)   Cushan-rishathaini  is  so  pronounced  in   the   Received  Text  as  to  make  8 

the  name  mean  'Cushan  of  twofold-wickedness';  cf.  Bera  and  Birsha,  Gen.   14,2. 

(3)     The   spirit   of  jHVH,    see    11,29;    6.34;    13.25;    14.6;    15,14;    i  Sam.   10 
11,6.      Induing  him,  as  God's  champion,  with  superhuman  might  and   courage. 
He    vindicated  /?/■(?(■/=  conquered    their   right.     The   Hebrew   verb   is  the   same 

50  from  which   the   noun  Judge  is  derived;   the  Judge,  in   this  Book,    is   one  'who 
vindicates  his  country  from  a  tyrant.'     See  further  i  Sam.  8,20. 


3.'i-'8 


— »44s*«@Si-  Qtotcs  on  ^ui^te  0*8s». 


58 


(4)  After   tliis  victory   tlie   land   enjoyed   security   under   tlie   rule   of  Otliniel  3,11 
until  his  death  ;  f/.  2.  iS. — Forty  years,  a  whole  generation  ;  see  above,  p.  45,  1.  10  flT. 

(l\ofce  on  3,12-30. 

The  introduction  and  conclusion  of  the  story  (12-15.28-30)  are  the  work 
5  of  D.  The  concrete  facts,  such  as  the  Moabite  occupation  of  Jericho  (13''),  the 
sending  of  the  tribute  to  Eglon  by  Ehud  (is"!),  and  the  seizure  of  the  fords 
(2S''),  are,  of  course,  derived  from  the  story  itself,  the  original  beginning  and 
end  of  which  have  been  supplanted  by  D's  pragmatic  scheme.  Traces  of  the 
hand   of  tlie  pre-Deuteronomistic  editor   may  also  be   discovered   in  the  verses. 

10  The  story  itself  bears  no  marks  of  Deuteronomistic  redaction.  The  Moabites, 
whose  territory  lay  east  of  the  Dead  Sea,  and,  except  when  Israel  was  strongest 
on  that  side  of  the  Jordan,  as  in  the  days  of  Omri  and  Ahab,  reached  to 
the  Jordan  opposite  Jericho  (the  Steppes  of  Moab),  crossed  the  river,  captured 
lericho,  and  occupied  its  fertile  plain.     From  the  story  itself  it  does  not  appear 

15  that  tlieir  power  e.xtended  beyond  this  into  the  mountains  behind.  The  Ben- 
iamites  were  the  sufferers  by  this  invasion  ;  and  it  was  a  Benjamite  who,  by  a 
bold  stroke,  rid  them  of  the  tyrant.  The  Deuteronomistic  author,  as  in  other 
cases,  transforms  the  local  struggle  into  the  subjugation  and  liberation  of  all 
Israel. 

20  Tlie  e.xploits  of  the  tribal   hero  were,   doubtless,   preserved   in   memory  and 

often  retold  at  the  sanctuary  of  the  tribe  at  Gilgal.  The  story,  as  we  read  it, 
shares  the  general  character  of  the  oldest  narratives  in  the  Book,  and  is  therefore 
ascribed  to  J,  to  whom  some  slight  indications  in  the  language  also  point.  It 
may  have  been  retouched  in  some  places  by  later  hands ;    but  the   attempt  to 

25  separate  it  into  two  strands  (J  and  E)  is  not  convincing. 


(I)  On    the   .luuuonitcs    see    note   on    ll,4;    on    the    Amateliites,    notes    on  13 
1,16;  6,3.  (2)    Ttie  Palm  O'/v  =  Jericho ;  see  1,16. 

( 3  I  Cera  is  the  name  of  a  Benjamite  clan  (Gen.  46  ,  21  ;  2  Sam.  16  ,  5  ;  &c. ). —  15 
A  man  -iviw  Iiad  not  tlie  use  of  liis  right  hand,  cf.  20,16.  The  et\mology  of 
30  the  Hebrew  word  suggests  that  the  hand  was  shrunken  in  consequence  of  an 
injury;  in  the  later  language,  however,  the  phrase  means  no  more  than  left- 
handed,  and  that  is  perhaps  all  that  is  intended  here.  It  was  by  taking  ad\an- 
tage  of  this  bodily  defect  that  Ehud  succeeded  in  his  plan. 

(4)  The  weapon  16 
which  he  made  for  the 
purpose  was  a  long  and 
hea\y  dagger,  measur- 
ing thirteen  or  fourteen 
inches  in  the  blade ; 
sharp  on  both  edges, 
and  without  guard  or 
cross-piece  (v.  22 ). 

(5)  The  tribute  was  18 
paid  in  the  products  of 
the  land,  and  a  consid- 
erable number  of  bear- 
ers was  doubtless  neces- 
san,-.  Our  engraving, 
from  the  Black  Obelisk 

50  of  Shalmaneser  II   ( B.  c.  S60-S24)  represents  tlie  trilnite  brought  to  the  Assyrian 
king  by  Jehu  of  Israel  (n.  c.  842). 


ISR.\ELITES    BEARINi;    TKIIUT1-: 


59 


— »*e^f€Sf!-  Qtotce  on  ^ui^etf  ■ 


3,19-23 


(6)  We  are  to  suppose  that  Ehud  accompanied  the  bearers  on  their  return  3,  19 
to  this  point ;    then,    leaving  them   to    pursue  their  journey,    retraced   his   steps 
alone    to   Eglon's   residence.      T/ie  sculptured  stones  near  Gilgal  were  perhaps 
roughly  carved  standing  stones,   the  intermediate   stage   between   the   rude   stone 

5  and  the  idol.  From  v.  26  it  has  been  inferred  that  they  marked  the  limit  of  the 
Moabite  occupation  in  this  direction,  once  beyond  which,  Ehud  was  safe  from 
pursuit.     They  are  not  mentioned  elsewhere. 

(7)  And  said,  &c.     We   are   to   imagine   that  when   he   returned,   Ehud   sent 
word  to  the  King  that  he  had  a  matter  to  communicate  to  him  which  required 

10  secrecy;  the  King  dismissed  his  attendants,  and  Ehud  was  admitted  to  his 
presence  as  he  sat  alone  in  his  upper  story.  The  words  would  connect  better 
with  the  end  of  v.  18:  He  dismissed  the  bearers,  and  said,  &c.  Cf.  however,  Ex. 
18,6.7. 

(8)  The   upper  story   in   Oriental    liouses    is    raised    above    the    roof   at    one  20 
15  corner,   or  upon   a   tower-like   anne.x   to   the  building,   and  contains  usually  only 


UrPER    STORY    OF   .\X    ORIENT.\L    HOUSE. 


one  room,  through  which  windows  on  all  sides  allow  the  air  to  circulate  freely; 
c/.  I  Kings  17 ,  19 .  23 ;  2  Kings  4 ,  10  f. ;  ( in  palaces )  2  Kings  1,2;  Jer.  22 ,  13  f. ;  also 
Acts  1,13;  9,37.39;  20,8. 

(9)  Ehud's   secret    is    a    divine   eoiniuuiiieatio/!,    whether   by   oracle,   seer,  or 
20  prophet,  which   concerns   the   king.     Eglon   reverently  rises  from  his  seat  at  this 

announcement,  and  in  doing  so  gives  Ehud  his  opportunity. 

(10)  The   words,    Eglon   was  a  very  fat  man,  which   in  the  Received  Text  22 
stand  in  v.  17,  are  perhaps  a  misplaced  marginal  gloss.    Not  only  the  long  blade, 
but  the  hilt  also,  was  buried  in  his  belly. 

25  (11)  The  word  omitted   in  translation  was  probably  the  name  of  some  part  23 

of  the  building  ( porch,  gallery  ? )  through  which  Ehud  passed  in  his  exit. 


3.25- 


— «*e^i*3s-  (Uofoe  en  ^ui^ce  -«!@3|e3*«^ — 


60 


^> 


Aj4y 


(12)  The   lock    was   douljtless 
striicted    that    the    bi)lt 

was  shot  by  the  hand 
or  by  a  thong ;  the  key 
5  was  only  used  for  mi- 
locking  the  door.  Q'. 
the  note  on  Isaiah  22 , 
22. 

(13)  The  sciilpluird 
10  stones ;      see     note      6 

above.  Here,  as  well 
as  in  V.  19,  the  clause 
is  not  without  difficulty, 
but  this  may  be  due  to 
15  rative,   this  would   be  certain 


like   those   now   in 


a  ®  ®  ®  ©  ® 


• 

MODERN  SVRI.\N    LOCK. 


use  in  the  East,  .so  con-  3,25 
our  ignorance  of  the 
topograph)-.  The  site 
of  Seirali  is  unknown ; 
from  the  context  it  ap- 
pears that  it  was  in  the 
mountains.  The  resi- 
dence of  the  King  was 
probably  not  at  Jericho,  26 
but  on  the  other  side 
of  the  Jordan.  If  it 
were  quite  sure  that 
\-.  19a"  and  V.  26b«  were 
part  of  the  original  nar- 


for  the  way  from  Jericho  to  the  land  of  Benjamin 
or  the  Highlands  of  Ephraim  does  not  pass  by  Gilgal,  which  lies  in  the  oppo- 
site direction,  between  Jericho  and  the  fords  of  the  Jordan. 

(14)  Compare  chapter  12,  verse  5.  28 


(Itofe  on  3,31. 

20  ( r )  4 ,  I    ignores   Shamgar,  connecting   immediately  with   3 ,  30.     Shamgar   is  31 

often   reckoned   as   the   first   of  the  (six)   Minor  Judges;    but   the  brief  story  of 
his    exploit    has    no    resemblance    to    10,1-5;  12,8-15,    and    no    place    in    the 
chronological   scheme.     The  verse  is  one  of  the  latest  additions  to  the   Book. 
The  name,  S/iam^^ar  ben-Ana//i,   is  probably  derived  from  5,6;   tlie  story  of 

25  the  slaughter  of  the  Philistines  reminds  us  of  Samson  (e/.  especially  15,  14  ff. ), 

and  .still  more  of  one  of  David's   heroes,  Shammah  ben-Agee  (2  Sam.  23 ,  1 1  f  ). 

As   a   Philistine    fighter    Shamgar    comes    too   soon.     Analli    is    the    name    of   a 

goddess  who  was  widely  worshiped  in  Palestine  and  north  of  it  (ej.  note  on  1,33). 

The   Syrian  ox-goad    is   a   very    good   substitute   for    a  spear,  being  a   stout 

30  staff  six  or  eight  feet  long  armed  at  one  end  with  a  sjiike. 


Qtofce  on  C^aptcre  4.5. 

The  war  with  the  Canaanites  and  the  defeat  and  death  of  Sisera  are  the 
subject  of  the  Triumphal  Ode,  c.  5,  as  well  as  of  the  prose  narrative,  c.  4.  The 
poem    is    much    the    older    of   the    two,    and    the    prose    version    is    manifestly 

35  dependent  upon  it.  The  discrepancies  between  them  are  to  be  attrilnited  in 
part,  perhaps,  as  in  the  description  of  the  death  of  Sisera,  to  misunderstanding 
of  the  poem,  but  chiefly  to  the  union  in  c.  4  of  the  story  of  Sisera  with  an 
originally  independent  story  of  a  war  with  Jabin,  King  of  Hazor.  Sisera,  who 
in  the  ode  is  at  the  head  of  the  Kings  of  Canaan,  is  in  4,2.7  only  the  general 

40  of  Jabin,  the  King  of  Canaan.  It  is  easy,  as  usual,  to  recognize  D's  introduction 
and  close  (4 ,  i -4.  23  f. ),  in  which  material  derived  from  the  story  itself  {e.g. 
in  vv.  3.4)  and  perhaps  traces  of  the  older  setting  are  incorporated.  V.  5  seems 
to  be  a  late  editorial  gloss  to  v.  4 ;  r/".  i  Sam.  7,  16  f  The  stories  of  Jabin  and 
Sisera   were    probably   united,    not    by   D,    but   by  an   older  compiler   (R.'*^),   to 

45  whom,  in  this  case,  the  harmonistic  device  which  makes  Sisera  Jabin's  general 


6l  — »*«^®Ss- Qtotco   on  JuftgcB -*S**Ss9-«-;- —  4.2.3 

is  to  be  ascribed.  Jabin  has  no  part  in  tiie  action ;  and  it  is  difficult  to  deter- 
mine what  may  have  led  to  the  connection  of  his  history  with  that  of  Sisera, 
or  what  elements  in  vv.  6-22  are  derived  from  it.  The  theatre  of  the  war  with 
Sisera  was  the  valley  of  the  Kishon,  near  Mount  Tabor  ( cf.  notes  on  4,6.7); 
5  his  city,  Harosheth,  is  generally  identified  with  Hdrithiyeh,  at  the  western  gate- 
way to  the  Great  Plain  from  the  coast.  Hazor,  Jabin's  city,  on  the  contrary,  is 
far  away  in  Upper  Galilee.  Kedesh  in  Naphtali,  Barak's  home  (v.  6)  and  the 
rendezvous  of  the  tribesmen  whom  he  led  to  the  war  (v.  lo),  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  which  Jael's  tent  was   pitched  (v.  11  ;  cf.  v.  17),  is  a  little  way  north  of 

10  Hazor.  Sisera's  flight  from  the  battle-field  to  this  remote  point  can  hardly  be 
imagined ;  and  it  has  been  thought  improbable  that  it  would  be  chosen  as  the 
rendezvous  of  forces  gathered  to  attack  the  Canaanites  in  the  Plain,  or  that 
Zebulun  and  Naphtali  only,  and  not  the  tribes  about  the  Plain,  should  have 
been  raised  for  such  a   war.      Some  critics   have   inferred,  therefore,  that   these 

15  features  of  the  story  were  brought  in  by  association  with  the  story  of  Jabin  of 
Hazor;  in  the  original  story  of  Sisera,  another  Kedesh,  nearer  the  scene  of 
action  (in   Issachar),   may  have  been  named  as  Barak's  home. 

The  narrative  clearly  implies  that  Jael's  tent,  in  which  Sisera  sought  refuge, 
was   not   very   far  from   the   field  of  battle;   the  clauses  in  v.  11  and  v.  17  which 

20  seem  to  put  it  forty  miles  or  more  away,  near  Kedesh  and  Hazor,  cannot 
belong  to  this  source.  The  other  inference  is  not  so  certain  ;  in  the  Ode  also 
Zebulun  and  Naphtali  play  a  distinguished  part,  and  a  commander  planning  to 
occupy  Mount  Tabor  by  a  sudden  movement,  might  well  assemble  his  force  of 
hardy   hill-men   at   a   more   remote   point.      In   the   text,   therefore,  vv.  6-22   are 

25  ascribed  as  a  whole  to  one  source,  and  the  clauses  which  conflict  with  its 
representation  are  treated  as  editorial  additions,  whether  directly  derived  from 
the  story  of  Jabin,  or  suggested  by  the  connection  with  it  established  in 
1-4.  23  f  Some  slight  stylistic  indications  point  to  E,  rather  than  J,  as  the 
source  of  the  story  of  Sisera  ;   decisive  marks  are  lacking. 

(Itofce  on  Chapter  4. 

(i)   In  Josh.  II,  Jabin,  king   of    Hazor,    is   the   head    of   the   Canaanite   con-  4,2 
federacy   in   the  north,  whose  armies  Joshua  destroyed  in  the  decisive  battle  by 
the   Waters   of   Merom,    achieving   at   one    stroke   the  conquest   of  all   Palestine 
north  of  the  Great   Plain.     Jabin   thus   plays   in  the   conquest   of  the   north   the 

35  same  part  which  Adoni-zedek  does  in  the  south ;  and  as  the  account  of 
Joshua's  victory  over  the  latter  in  Josh.  10  appears  to  be  based  upon  J's 
narrative  of  the  conquests  of  Judah  in  Jud.  i  (Adoni-bezek),  so,  it  may  be 
conjectured.  Josh.  11  is  dependent  on  the  older  story  of  Jabin,  a  fragment  of 
which   is  preserved   in  Jud.  4,  which   may  also   have  been  taken  from  J.    Jabin, 

40  King  of  Hazor  (Jud.  4,  17;  Josh.  11,  i),  has  become  for  D  //;(-  King  0/  Canaan 
(cf.  v.  23),  who  oppressed  all  Israel. — Hazor  (see  i  Kings  9,  15;  2  Kings  15,29, 
and  especially  i  Mace.  11,67  fif.)  probably  stood  on  one  of  the  hills  west  of  the 
lake  el-HuIeh;  perhaps  on  fcbel  Hadirch,  three  miles  SSW^  of  Kedesh  (Qadcs), 
near  the  modern  village  of  Deishi'in. 

45  (2)  The    identification    of    Harosheth    with    Harithiyeh    (see  above,    1. 5)    is 

possible  only  if  the  story  of  Sisera  is  independent  of  that  of  Jabin,  The 
positive  arguments  for  it,  beyond  the  similarity  of  the  names,  which  may  be 
accidental,  are  not  very  conclusive. 

(3)  The  chariots  belong  to  Sisera;  see  vv.  13.  16;  5,28.     As  represented  on  3 

50  the  Egyptian  monuments,  the  Syrian  chariots  regularly  carry  three  men,  the 
driver,  the  warrior,  and  his  shield-bearer.  At  the  battle  of  Megiddo,  near  the 
scene   of  Sisera's   defeat,   Thothmes   III.    (about    1500    b.  c.  )   captured    from   the 


4.4""  — »*ejfees- (Jlofco  on  3"'5'8  •!B»Si»*-» —  62 

allied   Syrian   kint^s   nine   liiindred   and   tut-nty-four  ciiariots  and  over  two  thou-  4 
sand  horses. 

{4)  A  prophetess,  an  in-  4 
spired  woman ;  cf.  Exod. 
15,20.  —  /;  'as  judging  Israel. 
This  is  the  meaning  of  the 
words  as  given  in  the  Re- 
ceived Text,  and  as  inter- 
preted in  the  verse  follow- 
ing. Comparison  with  3  ,  10 
makes  it  probable  that  the 
author  intended  a  preterit : 
she  vindicaied  Israe/.  de- 
livered it ;  see  notes  on  2,16 
and  3 ,  10. 

HiTTiTE  CHARIOT.  (.5)  There  was  a  Tomb  5 

of  Deborah  below  Beth-el 
(Gen.  35,8),  where,  according  to  the  patriarchal  legend,  Rebekah's  nurse  was 
buried,  beneath  a  sacred  tree  (A/loii-baehu/h)  whose  name  was  by  popular  ety- 
20  niology  supijosed  to  commemorate  the  weeping  for  Deborah.  It  was  probably 
this  Deborah  Tree,  together,  perhaps,  with  a  reminiscence  of  i  Sam.  7,16  f., 
which  led  the  author  of  v.  5  to  fix  the  home  of  the  prophetess  in  the  heart 
of  the  Highlands  of  Ephraim.  From  5,15''  it  has  been  with  good  reason 
inferred  that  she  was  of  the  tribe  of  Issachar. 
25  Ramah  is  the  modern  er-Rdm,  two  hours  north  of  Jerusalem ;  see  19.13. 

(6)  On  Kedcsh  see  above,  p.  61,  1.  7  ff.,  and  below,  1.  43.  6 

(7)  Mount  Tabor,  now  Jebel  ct-Tor,  at  the  head  of  the  northern  arm  of 
the  Great  Plain,  was  from  its  situation  and  natural  strength  a  most  advantageous 
position   for  the    Israelites   in   a  war  with  the  Canaanites   in  the  Plain.     Its  .sum- 

30  mit  is  a  platform  on  which  a  considerable  army  could  encamp,  and  could  not 
be  easily  taken  by  assault.  The  picture  facing  p.  8  shows,  on  the  right  hand 
in  the  foreground,  the  summit  of  Mount  Tabor ;  the  view  is  toward  the  north, 
with  Mount  Hermon  in  the  distance  on  the  left. 

(8)  The    Kishon     (seep.  63)    drains    the    Great    Plain,    flowing    in    general  7 
35  parallel  to  the  range  of  Carmel,  and  emptying  into  the  Mediterranean  at   Haifa. 

Its  northern  branch  rises  west  of  Mount  Tabor. 

(9)  Barak's   refusal   to  go   alone   is   generally   interpreted   as  a  sin    of    little  8.1 
faith,  for  which   he  is   punished    by   losing  the   crowning  honor   of   the   victory, 
the  destruction   of  Sisera   himself;   but   it  is  by  no  means  evident  that  this  was 

40  in  the  mind  of  the  author. 

(10)  This  verse  prepares  us  to  understand  vv.  17  ff.,  and  is  introduced  here  11 
in   order  that   it   may   not  be  necessary  to  interrupt  the  description  of  the  battle 
and   flight   to   make   this    explanation.      If   Kedesh   is   the   city  of  that   name   in 
Naphtali,  as  the  author  of  v.  17''  supposes,  the  whole  of  v.  11  must  belong,  not 

45  to  the  story  of  Sisera,  but  to  that  of  Jabin  ;  and  in  v.  17  the  words  the  zoife  of 
Hebcr,  the  Kenitc,  must  be  attributed  to  an  editor,  as  a  harmonistic  de\ice 
.similar  to  that  which  makes  Sisera  Jabin's  general,  while  v.  17''  might  in  tliat 
case  be  derived  from  the  story  of  Jabin.  We  could  then  only  ima.gine  that  in 
the  original  history  of  Jabin  the  leader  of  the  enemy  met  at  the  tents  of  Heber 

50  a  fate  similar  to  that  which  overtook  Sisera  at  the  hands  of  Jael.  If  v.  11 
comes  from  the  principal  narrator  (E),  as  is  assumed  in  the  text,  the  Kedesh 
meant  must  be  sought  in  or  near  the  Great  Plain.  Tel  Abi'i-Oudi's,  between 
Taanach  and  Megiddo,  would  meet  the  requirements  of  the  story,  as  far  as 
we  can  be  sure  that  we  understand  them. 

55  The  words /row  the  Sous  of  Hobab,   &c.,  appear  to  be  a  gloss  from   i,  16. 


63 


— ***>^*ai5-  (llofce  on  ^ubgcB  -:asieM-» — 


4,  13-21 


(11)  See  notes  on  vv.  i  (p.  61,  1.  3  ff.).2.7. 

(12)  Exod.  14,  24;  23,27;  Josh.  10, 10;  I  Sam.  7,  10. 

(13)  See  note  on  v.  11. 

(14)  So  the  old 
5  est  Version ;  the  e\ 

act  meaning  of  the 

word    is  unknow  n 

As   the   object   was 

conceahnent,  thisni 
10  terpretation  is  more 

proljable  than  7v>ap, 

covei'/cf,    generall\ 

adopted   by  subse 

quent       translators 
15  and  commentators 

(15)  See  5  2s 
There  is  no  ground 
for  the  opinion 
often  advanced,  that 

20  the  sour  milk  had  a 
stupefying  or  intox- 
icating quality  ;  cf. 
V.21''  and  the  notes 
on  Isaiah  7,21. 

25  (16)       Pitching 

the   tent   is    among 

the  nomadic  Arabs  to  this  day  woman's  business ;  Jael  was  therefore  handling 
accustomed  implements,  the  wooden  pin  to  which  the  tent  ropes  are  secured  and 
the  mallet  with   which  they  are  driven. 

30  The  description  of  Sisera's  death  in  5 .  26  f   is  different  ;   see  note  there. 


ARAB    TKXTS. 


(Uofee  on  ^iiciTpUx  5. 

C.  5,  commonly  called  the  Soni^'  of  Deborah,  is  a  Triumphal  Ode  celebrating 
the  victory  of  the  Israelites  under  Deborah  and  Barak  over  the  Canaanite 
kings  and  the  death  of  the  leader  of  the  enemy,  in  his  flight,  by  the  hand  of 
35  Jael.  This  poem  is  one  of  the  oldest  monuments  of  Hebrew  literature,  and 
is  attributed  by  almost  all  critics  to  a  contemporary  of  the  great  events  which 
are  so  vividly,  and  with  so  much  feeling,  portrayed  in  it.  It  has  been,  indeed, 
the  almost  universal  opinion  that  the  heroine,  Deborah,  is  herself  its  author; 
but  the   invocation   in   v.  12,  Awake,   azvakc,   Deborah!  and   v.  15,  in   which  she 


5,1-6  — *-Hs^«s:*-  (Ttofco  on  3"^5'8  -sesJSa** —  64 

is  spoken   of  in   the   third   person,    seem   conclusive  against  this   view,    while   in 
V.  7,  which   is   its  principal  support,  the  form  of  the  Hebrew  verb  may  be  either 
the   first   person,    Till  I,    Deborah,   arose,  or  the   second,   Till  thou   didsl  arise, 
Deborah  ;   the  oldest  \'ersions  have  the  third  person,  Till  Deborah  arose. 
5  After  a  brief  exordium  the  poet  depicts  the  state  of  things  which  preceded 

and  provoked  the  war  (vv.  2-u);  in  the  second  part  (vv.  12-22)  he  tells  of 
the  rising  of  the  tribes,  inscribing  on  a  monument  "more  lasting  than  bronze" 
the  names  of  those  who  threw  themselves  with  ardor  into  the  great  cause, 
heaping    contumely    upon    those    who    in    base    inertness   stood   aloof  from   the 

10  struggle;    in  the   third   (vv.  23-31)   he  describes    the   battle,  and   the    flight   and 

death   of  Sisera,  and   lingers   upon   the   suspense    of    the    chieftain's   mother    as, 

between  foreboding  and  forced  hope,  she  waits  for  the  return  of  her  warrior  son. 

As   might   be   expected   from  its  great  antiquity,  the  Ode  is  in  many  places 

obscure ;    in   vv.  8-15,    in    particular,    the    text  has    suflTered  so  much   from   the 

15  injuries  of  time  that  even  the  general  tenor  of  the  passage  can  hardly  be 
made  out.  The  Song  of  Deborah  is  much  older  than  any  of  the  prose  stories 
of  the  Judges.  We  may  surmise  that  it  was  preserved  in  one  of  those  col- 
lections of  old  Hebrew  poetry,  like  the  Book  of  Jashar  and  the  Book  of  the 
Wars  of  JHI'H,  from   which   the   historians   quote ;   and   we   may   be   reasonably 

20  sure  that  it  was  included  in  one  of  the  sources  from  which  the  Prophetical  Book 
of  Judges  (JE)  was  compiled;  if  c.  4  is  rightly  attributed  to  E,  we  should  be 
inclined   to  give  c.  5  to  J,  though  this  is  by  no  means  a   necessary  consequence. 

(i)  The   day   of  victory;   cf.   Exod.  15,1.     The   title,  ascribing  the   poem  to  5,1 
Deborah,  is   of  course   not  part   of  the  poem  itself     The  grammatical  construc- 
25  tion  of  the  clause   gives  ground   for  the   suspicion   that   the   name   of  Barak  was 
introduced  by  a  later  editor. 

( 2 )  The   first   hemistich  has   been  rendered  in  a  great  variety  of  ways ;   that  2 
given  in  the  te.\t   best  agrees   with   the   parallel   clause  and  the   construction  of 
the   sentence.     The  poem   seems   properly   to   begin   with   v.  3,    Hear,  ye  kings, 

30  &c. ;  v.  2  is  not,  however,  as  has  sometimes  been  suspected,  a  misjjlaced  frag- 
ment, but  a  preliminary  word  addressed  to  the  actual  hearers,  the  Israelites 
assembled  to  celebrate  the  triumph,  bidding  them  unite  in  spirit  in  the  praises 
of  Jhvh  to  which  the  following  song  gives  voice. 

(3)  VV.  4  f.    describe    Jhvh   leaving    His   sacred   mountain    in    tlie    distant  4.5 
35  South  to  fight  with   His  people  against  their  foes ;   cf.  Dent.  33 .  2 ;  Hab.  3,3ft'.; 

Ps.  68,7ff. ;  also  2  Sam.  22 ,  8  ff. ;  Mic.  1,3  f;  and  above,  Jud.  4,14. — Seir  is 
the  land  of  Edom,  given  by  Jhvh  to  Esau,  as  He  gave  Palestine  to  Jacob  (Josh. 
24,4;  Dent.  2,$;  cf.  Gen.  32,3;  33,14).  It  is  the  mountainous  region  east  of 
the   great   depression   (the   'Arabah)    which  extends    from    the  Dead  Sea    to    the 

40  eastern  gulf  of  the  Red  Sea.  The  southern  prolongation  of  this  range,  east  of 
the  Red  Sea,  are  the  mountains  of  Midian,  among  which  was  Horeb,  the  Mount 
of  God;  see  Exod.  3,  i ;  i  Kings  19,8.  —  The  words,  that  is,  Sinai  (v.  5),  are  an 
ancient  gloss,  inserted  by  a  scribe  who  understood  the  verses  of  the  descent 
of  Jhvh  on  Sinai  at  the  giving  of  the  Law  (Exod.  19). 

45  (4)  VV.  6-7  depict  the  state  of  things  before  the  war;   the  insecurity  of  the  6 

roads,  the  abandonment  of  the  mn walled  villages'.  Neither  Shamgar  nor  Jael 
had  done  aught  to  put  an  end  to  these  ills  until  Deborah  arose.  This  seems  to 
be  the  only  explanation  of  the  mention  of  Shamgar  and  Jael.  The  strange 
juxtaposition  of  these  names  has  led  to  the  surmise  that  the  latter  was  not  the 

50  heroine  of  vv.  24  ff.,  but  an  otherwise  unknown  Judge;  or  that  her  name  has 
displaced  that  of  another  Judge ;  but  neither  of  these  hypotheses  has  any 
external  support. — The  first  line  of  v.  7  seems  to  be  imperfect.  The  next  two 
lines  are  thought  by  some  critics,  on  formal  as  well  as  material  grounds,  to  be 
a  later  addition  to  the  poem. 


65  ^**^6SR- QtofeB  on  ^xiiqee -^1:8^^3*^-  5.S-19 

(5)  V.  S  continues  the  description  of  the  situation  at  the  beginning  of  the  5,i 
war ;  the  Israelites  were  almost  without  arms.  The  first  half  of  the  verse  is 
unintelligible,  and  from  this  point  to  the  middle  of  v.  15  we  can  make  out 
single  words  and  clauses,  but  not  the  connection.  It  is  clear  only  that  vv. 
5  12-15^  sound  the  praises  of  the  tribes  which  threw  themselves,  heart  and  soul, 
into  the  struggle;  but  it  is  more  doubtful  whether  vv.  9-11  also  refer  to  the 
past,  lauding  the  part  which  the  nobles  took  in  the  national  uprising,  or  are, 
like  v.  2  (to  which  v.  9  has  a  noticeable  resemblance),  a  summons  to  those  who 
hear  the  Song  to  bless  God  for  the  great  deliverance  He  has  wrought.     In  the 

10  latter  case  vv.  lo-iia  may  point  the  contrast  between  the  state  of  things 
described  in  vv.  6-7  and  the  security  which  now  exists. 

(7)  If  the  preceding  verses  be  taken  in  the  second  of  the  ways  suggested  in  11 
the  last  note,   i.  e.  as  a  summons  to  bless  God,  this  line  is   out  of  place ;   it   has 
been  conjectured  that  it   originally  stood  at  the  beginning  of  v.  13='. 

15  (8)  This    apostrophe  begins  the  second   part   of  the   ode;    the   gathering   of  12 

the  clans  and  the  battle  with  the  Canaanite  kings.  The  last  words  may  also 
be  read  capture  thy  captors ;  and  have  been  thought  to  indicate  that,  like  Gideon 
(8, 18  ff. ),  Barak  had  personal  wrongs  to  avenge.  The  te.\t  continues  to  be  very 
imperfect ;  in  the  following  we  can  read  little  more  than  the  names  of  the  tribes. 

20  (9)  Lit.   the   writer's  staff.     The   luriter  (Heb.  sopher)    is   properly  the   title  14 

of  an  ofticer  who  was  charged  with  the  mustering  of  the  forces ;  here,  apparently, 
another  synonym  for  leader. 

(10)  The  tribes  of  Ephraim,  Benjamin,  Machir  (here  /K'i/ Manasseh ),  Zebulun,    15 
Issachar,    and    <Naphtali>,    under    their    own    chiefs    and    captains,    flock    to    the 

25  rendezvous,  eager  for  the  conflict.  In  contrast  with  their  ardor,  the  indifference 
of  other  tribes,  which  stood  aloof  and  took  no  part  in  the  great  struggle, 
provokes  the  poet  to  bitter  taunts. 

(11)  Reuben,  the  oldest  branch  of  the  Leah  stock,  sought  to  establish  itself  16 
in  Northern  Moab,  east  of  the  Dead  Sea  (Num.  32,37  f ).     As  the  verse  before 

30  us  shows,  it  was  a  pastoral  tribe,  which  probably,  like  Simeon  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Dead  Sea,  never  settled  down  to  husbandry ;  and,  like  Simeon, 
early  disappears  from  history  altogether. 

(12)  Gilead,   the  region  east  of  the  Jordan,   north  and   south   of  the  Jabbok  17 
(see  note  on  11,13),  with  shifting  limits  in  both  directions.     It  was  occupied  by 

35  the  tribe  of  Gad,  which  is  meant  here. —  Dan,  after  an  unsuccessful  effort  to 
establish  itself  in  the  southwest  (see  note  on  1,34),  migrated  to  the  north,  and 
settled  at  the  headwaters  of  the  Jordan  (c.  18).  The  conjunction  of  the  name 
with  that  of  Asher  shows  that  the  northern  seats  of  the  tribe  are  in  the  author's 
mind.     Dan  was  not  on  the  sea-coast,  but  it  was  neighbor  to  the  Phoenicians,  and 

40  perhaps  under  the  protection  of  that  seafaring  people,  as  the  inhabitants  of  Laish 
had  been  before  them  ;  or  the  meaning  may  be  that  the  Danites  actually  went 
to  sea  as  rowers  on  Phcenician  ships  (E.  Meyer). — The  territory-  of  Asher  was 
nearer  the  coast ;  though  we  have  no  reason  to  think  that  it  actually  occupied 
a  portion  of  it. 

45  (13)  Literally:  Zebulun  was  a  people  that  contemned  its  life  unto  death,  \\  And  18 

Naphtali,  on  the  heights  of  the  field;  but  contemned  its  life  unto  death  and  on 
the  heights  of  the  field  refer  to  both  Zebulun  and  Naphtali.  Unlike  the  tribes 
just  named,  who  pursued  their  separate  interests  without  regard  to  the  common 
good,  Zebulun  and  Naphtali  were  conspicuous  for  an  impetuous  valor  that  recked 

50  not  of  life. 

(14)  With  this  verse  begins  the  description  of  the  battle  itself     The  Kings  19 
of  Canaan  are  probably  the  kings  of  the  cities  in  or  near  the  Great   Plain.     On 
Taanach  and  Megiddo  see  note  on  1,27.     With  the  last  clause  cf.  v.  30 ;  E.xod. 

15.9- 

s 


5,2o-3i  -~>-Hsmi!^  Qlotee  on  ^u^S^^ -sj«»«eh-^  66 

(15)  Jhvh,  whose  departure   for  the  war   is   described   in  vv.  4  f.,   intervenes  5,20.21 
to  discomfit  the  enemy  and  give  His  people   victory,   the  hosts  of  heaven  fight 
against  the  hosts  of  Sisera;   the  river   Kishon   (c/.  note  on  4,7)    sweeps  them 

away  in  ruin.      The  battle  may  have  been  fought  in  the  spring ;   a  violent  storm 
5  may   have   thrown   the   Canaanites   into   confusion,    and    a    sudden    spate    in   the 
stream  have  completed  their  destruction. 

(16)  Description   of  the   precipitate  flight  of  the  enemy;    </.  the   description  22 
of  the  charge  in  Nah.  3 ,  2  f 

(17)  From  the  contrast  between  the  curse  of  Meroz  and  the  blessing  of  Jael  23 
10  it  is  probable  that   Meroz   was   an   Israelite   village   which   Sisera   passed  in  his 

flight,  whose  people,  instead  of  cutting  him  oflf,  allowed  him  to  escape.  The 
name  ISIeroz  does  not  occur  elsewhere,  and  the  site  is  unknown. 

The  Messenger  of  JHI'H  is  not  a  prophet  or  an  angel  (in  the  sense  of  later 
Jewish  and  Christian  angelology),   but   the  manifest   presence   of  Jhvh   Himself 
15  Cf.  the  notes  on  2,  i  and  6,11. 

(18)  Synonyms   are   accumulated    to    describe  the   terrible   blow   she   dealt,  26 
crushing  Sisera's  head  and  utterly  destroying   it.     In  the  second   line   tlie   name 

of  the   implement,   parallel  to  ihc  pin  in  the  first  hemistich,  is  obscure.      From 
the  following  verbs  it  appears  that  it  was  a  heavy  blunt  weapon ;    and  we  most 
20  naturally  think  of  a  mallet,  as  in  4,21. 

(19)  The  words  plainly  describe  the  collapse   of  a  man  who,  standing,    is  27 
felled  by  a  crushing  blow ;  not  tire  death  agony  of  one  who  is  killed  in  his  sleep 
by  a  tent-pin  driven  through  his  temples  (4,21).      The  poem  here  differs  from 
the   prose   story ;   the   description   of  Sisera's   death    in   the  latter  is  believed  by 

25  many  scholars  to  have  originated  in  a  misunderstanding  of  this  verse. 

(20)  With   great  art,  the   poet  shifts  the   scene   from  Jael's   tent,  where  the  28 
King,   mangled  and   bleeding,   lies  dead  at  the  feet  of  his  slayer  —  a  woman!  — 

to    the    palace,    where   the   queen-mother  an.xiously   watches   for  him   who   shall 
return  no  more.     Her  vague  presentiment  of  evil,    the   efforts  of  her  court  to 
30  banish   it   by  the  assurance   of  victory  and   rich   booty,   are   admirably  depicted ; 
a  most  eflfective  close  to  the  Triumphal  Ode. 

(21)  Splendid  and  irresistible. — The  prose  note,  v.  3x1',  forms  D's  conclusion  31 
to  the  story  of  Deborah  and  Barak,  cc.  4 . 5. 

(Itofce  on  €6apfcro  6-8. 

35  In   the   story  of  the   deliverance   of  Israel  from  the  Midianites,  it  is  evident 

at  first  glance  that  8 , 4  fif.  is  not  the  sequel  of  7 ,  23  -  8 , 3.  In  the  latter  verses 
the  hordes  of  the  enemy  have  been  routed,  pursued,  intercepted ;  the  two  chiefs 
have  been  captured  and  slain  ;  the  victors  have  quarreled  and  composed  their 
quarrel.      In    8,4,   however,    Gideon    with    his  three   hundred   men  crosses  the 

40  Jordan  in  hot  pursuit  of  the  two  Kings  of  Midian ;  he  overtakes  them  on  the 
edge  of  the  desert,  surprises  the  camp,  and  takes  prisoner  the  Kings.  There 
can  be  no  doubt,  therefore,  that  8,4-21  conies  from  a  different  source  from 
the  main  narrative  in  6,1-8,3.  The  latter  chapters  themselves  are  not  homo- 
geneous :   6  ,  25  fif.  is   not  the   continuation   of  6  ,  1 1  -  24  ;   6 ,  36  -  40  can  hardly  be 

45  from  the  same  hand  with  6,21  fif;  compare  also  6,34  with  6,35;  7,2-8;  and 
6,35  with  7,23f.;  8,1.  The  literary  analysis  of  the  chapters  is  peculiarly  diffi- 
cult, and  its  results  are  more  than  usually  uncertain. 

The  opening  verses,  6,1-6,  are    the    usual    Deuteronomistic    introduction ; 
cf.  3 , 7  ff     The   description  of  the  annual  forays  of  the   Midianites  is  doubtless 

50  derived  from  older  sources  —  perhaps,  indeed,  both  narratives  of  Gideon's 
exploits  are  represented  in  it  —  but  it  has  been  so  amplified  and  heightened 
by  editorial   hands  that  it  is  not  possible  to  recover  the  original    form   of  the 


67  — s-f-^^Ss- (llo<«0  on  ^w^S^"  ^as*i3*« —  6-8 

introduction.  VV.  7  -  10,  the  speech  of  the  prophet,  recalling  the  great  things 
|hvh  has  done  for  His  people,  and  reproving  them  for  their  disobedience,  is 
plainly  neither  part  of  D's  introduction  nor  of  the  story  which  follows  (vv. 
11 -24).  It  is  ascribed  in  the  text  to  E,  or  rather  to  the  secondary  stratum 
5  of  E  (E^);  it  may,  perhaps,  equally  well  be  attributed  to  a  post-Deuterono- 
mistic  editor  (D').  VV.  11-24  are  substantially  from  J  {cf.  Gen.  i8,  i  ff. ;  Jud. 
I3,2ff. ),  but  have  received  some  additions  from  a  later  hand,  which  may  be 
recognized  by  the  fact  that  they  anticipate  Gideon's  recognition  of  the  Mes- 
senger (v.  22),  and  consequently  convert   Gideon's  proffer  of  hospitality  into  a 

10  proposal  to  offer  sacrifice.  VV.  25-32  are  plainly  not  by  the  author  of  vv. 
11-24.  Most  critics  regard  them  as  a  mere  accretion  to  the  original  story, 
showing  how  the  deliverer  first  purged  himself  of  the  national  sin,  and  how 
he  came  by  the  name  Jerubbaal.  But  as  the  verses  have  not  the  characteristic 
stamp  of  the   Deuteronomistic  school,  and  seem  to  be  connected  with  a  second 

15  strand  in  the  subsequent  narrative,  they  are  here  ascribed  to  a  different  source 
(E).  V.  33  does  not  belong  to  the  same  source  as  vv-.  11-24,  in  which  the 
Midianites  are  already  in  the  land  (v.  11);  v.  34,  in  which  Gideon  calls  out  his 
clan,  may  be  the  continuation  of  v.  24 ;  v.  35  is  apparently  an  exaggerating 
addition  to  v.  34,  and  contains  the  premises    of  7,2-8.     VV.  36  -  40,  the   sign 

20  of  the  fleece  is  plainly  from  E. 

7,1,  describing  the  position  of  the  two  camps,  probably  belongs  to  the 
main  narrative  (J);  f/!  also  v.  8'' ;  vv.  2-8^,  the  reduction  of  Gideon's  32,000 
men  to  300,  is  secondary;  perhaps  by  RJ^,  perhaps  E^.  VV.  9-15  belong  to 
the    principal    narrative    (J),    in    which    they    immediately    followed   v.  i.      The 

25  redundancy  and  confusion  in  the  account  of  Gideon's  stratagem,  vv.  16-22,  are 
generally  attributed  to  editorial  officiousness,  some  critics  regarding  the  jars  and 
torches,  others  the  horns,  as  interpolated.  If  two  strands  of  narrative  are 
recognized  in  the  chapters,  however,  it  is  more  natural  to  suppose  that  the 
confusion  here   is  due  to  the  attempts  to  unite  two  versions  of  the  story.     The 

30  analysis  is  very  uncertain ;  the  story  in  which  the  horns  play  the  chief  part 
( E )  is  the  more  completely  preserved ;  the  other  seems  to  have  run  substan- 
tially as  follows :  They  took  empty  jars  with  torches  concealed  in  them,  and 
surrounded  the  camp ;  following  Gideon's  example,  they  smashed  the  jars, 
holding  on    to    the    torches,    and    shouted    For  Jhvh  and    Gideon,    &c.     The 

35  description  of  the  pursuit  in  vv.  23  -  25  seems  to  come  from  the  second  nar- 
rative (E)  ;  8,4  follows  naturally  after  J's  part  of  7,22.  The  verses  8,1-3 
are  the  continuation  of  E's  narrative. 

The  section  8,4-21  is  another  account  of  the  pursuit  of  Midian  and  the 
death   of  the   chiefs.     Most  critics   think   that  it  is  derived  from  an  independent 

40  source  and  that  the  beginning  of  the  narrative  has  been  omitted  (cf.  especially 
V.  18).  In  the  text  an  attempt  has  been  made  to  connect  it  with  the  older 
version  of  the  story  in  6.7  (J),  in  which  it  followed  7,22.  (See  note  on  that 
verse. ) 

The  offer  and   refusal    of   the    kingdom    (v.  22  f )    have    no    possible    con- 

45  nection  with  vv.  4-21,  and  can  hardly  be  by  the  author  of  vv.  r-3.  The 
theocratic  estimate  of  the  kingdom  resembles  i  Sam.  8,7;  10,19;  12,12,  and 
like  those  passages  may  be  attributed  to  a  secondary  Ephraimitic  hand  (E^); 
the  verses  were  probably  meant  to  stand  after  8,3.  W.  24-27  are  probably 
derived   substantially   from  J,  but  have  suffered  some  editorial  alterations.     The 

50  request  was  originally  made  of  Gideon's  followers,  his  own  clan  of  Abi-ezer. 
In  v.  26  the  additions  to  the  primitive  text  are  obvious.  The  latter  part  of  v. 
27  is  a  Deuteronomic  censure ;  v.  28  is  D's  closing  formula.  V.  29  perhaps 
originally  stood  after  8,3;  vv.  33-35  are  also  from  D,  and  were  probably  meant 
as  a  substitute  for  c.  9 ;  vv.  30  -  32,  on  the  contrary,  seem  to  be  an  introduction 


6  .  I  ~  15 


-^-s-tsgiSSt-  ({lotce  on  ^ui^ce  -sim^*^— 


68 


to   9,  prrlixLcl   by   the  later  editor  who  restored  the  history  of  Ahimelech  lo  its 
place  in  the   Book. 


( 1 )  A/idia/t,    a   tribe   of   Northwestern   Arabia   v\hich    the  Israelite    historians  6 ,  i 
regarded   as  an  inferior  branch  of  their  own  race   (descendants  of  Abraham  l)y 

5  the  concubine  Ketnrah).  The  Land  of  Midian,  in  which  the  sacred  mountain 
of  Jhvh,  Horeb  ( Exod.  3,  i),  was  situated,  lay  east  of  the  Gulf  of  'Aqabah  and 
the  Red  Sea ;  but,  like  modern  Arab  tribes,  the  Midianites,  in  search  of  pasture 
or  plunder,  often  wandered  far  to  the  north  (see^".  ^.  Gen.  36,35). 

(2)  The  translation   hiding-places  gives   only  the   general   sense    which   the  2 
10  context   requires ;    the    exact    meaning   of   the   word    is    unknown.     See   further, 

I  Sam.  13,6  (J  ). 

(3)  The   AinaU'kites  were   Bedouins,   of  the  deserts   south   of  Palestine;   see  3 
I  Sam.  15;   30 ;   Num.  14,43.45;    also    Exod.  i7,Sff.;    Dent.  25,17-19;    Num. 
24,20.     The  eastern  Bedouins  (in  Heb.  the  Sons  of  the  East)  are  the  tribes  of 

15  the  Syrian  Desert,  east  of  Moab  and  Amnion  (Jer.  49,28;  Ezek.  25,4.10;  Is. 
11,14).  These  names,  like  those  of  Amnion  and  Anialek  in  3,13,  were  very 
likely  introduced  by  an  editor. 

( 4 )  Ciaza,  the  most  southern  city  on   the  coast,  on    the   road   to    Egypt  ( cf.  4 
notes   on  16,1).       This   exaggeration   also   is   probably   to   be    attributed    to    an 

20  editor. 

(5)  With  this  reproof  compare  2  ,  lii  -  5'' ;  10,11-16;  i  Sam.  7,3  f.;  10,17-19;  7-10 
12,6-25;   also   2  Kings  17,35  fT.      It   comes  to  a   very   abrupt   termination;    we 
should  expect  it  to  close,  as  in  other  cases,  with  a  denunciation  of  judgment. 

(6)  (TT".  Josh.  24  ,  12  f. .  18;  and  especially  i  Sam.  10,18.  9 
25           (7)  In  all   the  old  accounts  of  the  appearances  of  the  Messenger  of  jHVH,   11 

the  3/esseiiger  is  identified  with  the  deity;  see  Gen.  16,7-14;  21,17-19; 
22,  II  -  14.  15-  iS;  31 ,  11  -  13  ;  Exod.  3,2  ft".;  Jud.  13,  2  ff.;  f/^  also  Gen.  32,  24-30 
with  Hos.  12,4  f.;  and  Gen.  18.19. — Ophrah  seems  to  have  been  not  very  far 
from  Shechem  (see  9.1-5);  the  site  is  not  certainly  identified. — Abi-ezer  -wa^ 
30  a  clan  of  Manasseh   (Josh.  17,2).     Joash  was  the  proprietor  of  the   Holy  Tree, 

just  as,  in  the  paral- 


Wine' 


35 


40 


f JL___ 


SECTION   OF    A   WINE-PRESS. 


lei  account  of  the 
calling  of  Gideon,  he 
was  of  the  sanctuary 
of  Baal  (v.  25). 

(8)  The  wine- 
press was  a  square 
or  oblong  e.xcava- 
tion  in  the  surface^ 
rock,  in  which  a 
In   the   illustration 


man  could  beat  out  a  few  sheaves  of  wheat  unobserved, 
the  larger  excavation  on  the  left  is  the  press,  in  which  the  grapes  were 
trani|5led  witli  the  feet ;  the  juice  ran  through  channels  into  the  two  deeper  vats 
on  the  right.  The  threshing-floor,  always  on  a  hill-top,  was,  on  the  contrary, 
45  a  peculiarly  exposed  place. 

(9)  Q'.  II ,  I  ;  I  Kings  II ,  28;  2  Kings  5  ,  1  ;  &c.  12 

(10)  These   words   seem   to   be   the   addition   of  an   editor;    hardly  of  D,   in  13 
whom  the  word  translated  miracles  does  not  occur. 

(11)  With  vv.  14-16  cf.  Exod.  3,10-12.  14 
50          (12)  If  the   words  be  an   original   part  of   the  narrative,    we   must  suppose 

that  the  author  wrote:  Does  not  jHVH  send  thee?  (4,6). 

(13)  Such   protestations,  as   1  Sam.  9,21    shows   us,  are   not  to  be  taken  lit-  15 
erally. 


69 


— »4«3g«@s>  Qtofoo  on  3"*3«8  ^eg5#34-» — 


6.15-33 


(14)  Here  also   the   author  must   have   written:    He   rephed,    Surch,  ///'// 6,  16 
will  be  -with  thcc. 

(15)  Gideon  asks  the  stranger  to  wait  till  he  can  prepare  him  a  meal;  cf.  j-j 
Gen.  18,3-8;  Jud.  13,15-19.      The    request    for    a    sign,    which  presumes   that 

5  Gideon  already  recognized  his  visitor,  anticipates  vv.  2i  f.,  and  is  an  addition 
by  the  same  author  who  altered  the  text  in  the  follow'ing  verse  in  the  belief 
that  Gideon  from  the  first  intended  a  sacrifice. 

(16)  The  quantity  of  cakes  is  excessive,  especially  under  the  circumstances;  19 
cf.  Gen.  i8,6;  i  Sam.  17,  17. 

10  (17)  \'.  20,  together  with  the  end  of  v.  iga  (the  meat  lie  put  in  a  basiet,  a/id  20 

t/ie  broth  in  a  pot),  is  perhaps  secondary. 

(iS)  Cy.  Lev.  9  ,  24  ;   I  Kings  18  ,  38 ;  2  Chron.  7  ,  i  ;   2  Mace.  2  ,  10-13.      The  21 
last  clause,  which  conflicts  with  what  follows,  has  been  brought  over  from  13 ,  20. 
1:9)  To  see  God  (or  His  Messenger,  which  is  the  same  thing)  is  death;  see  22 
15  13,  22;  Gen.  16,  13  ;  32  ,  30;  Exod.  20,  19  ( 16);  33,  20;  Is.  6,  5. 

(20)  Explanation    of   the   origin   of   the   name   of  the  altar   jHVH-shalom   at  23.24 
Ophrah. 

(21)  The  te.xt   is   corrupt;    the   simplest   emendation   is   that   adopted   in   the  25 
translation ;  but  it  is  far  from  certain. 

20  (22)  The  altar,  of  which  Joash  was  the  proprietary  custodian,  was  the  village 

sanctuary  (vv.  28  ff.),  sacred  to  the  Baal  of  the  place  (see  on  2,13);  the  sacred 
pole  (asherdh)  beside  the  altar  was  doubtless  dedicated  to  the  same  deity. 
Such  poles  or  posts  seem  to  have  stood  at  every  Canaanite  place  of  worship 
(Exod.  34.13;  Deut.  12,3);  and  were  erected  by  the  Israelites  beside  the  altars 

25  of  Jhvh  (I  Kings  14,23;  2  Kings  17,10);  even  in  the  Temple  in  Jerusalem  (2 
Kings  21,7;  23,6).     See  also  note  on  3,7. 

(23)  These  words  were  perhaps  a  gloss  intended  for  a  different  place  or  in  31 
a  different  sense. 

(24)  Q".  Job  13,8;  I  Kings  18,21-39.     Dcorum  iniurics  d'ls  curts. 

( 25 )  The  explanation  of  the  name  Jerubbaal,  Let-Baal-contend-ivith-him,  is  a  32 
fanciful  etymology.     The  name  is  now  commonly  interpreted,  Baal  contends  (cf. 
Jehoiarib,    i   Chron.  24  ,  7  )  ;    better,    Baal  founds,   establishes,    like    Jeruel.      The 
story  seems  to  be  spun  out  of  the  etymologj-,    but   need   not,   on   that  account, 
be  very  late;  cf.  15,  14-19. 

(26)  The   annual   invasion,   such   as  is  described  in  vv.  2-6.     The   Plain,   or  33 
Valley  (Hos.  1,5;  Josh.  17,16),  of  Jezreel,  the  eastern  end  of  the  great  depres- 


30 


35 


PL.\IN    OF    JEZKEEL. 


sion   which   divides  the  mountains   of  Central   Palestine  from   Galilee,    takes   its 
name  from  the  city  of  Jezreel,  the  modern  Zer'in.     The  cut  shows  a  part  of  the 

Plain,  as  seen  from  Jenin. 


6,34-7  >  23  — s-»«iS«s»- (Itofce  on  ^ubges -^^jfj^i-s —  70 

(27)  /^assessed  Gideon,  lit.  piil  him  on,  as  a  garment;   f/!   i  Cliron.  12,  iS;  6,34 
2  Cliron.  24,20;  and  see  the  note  on  3,  10. 

(28)  In  7,23  these  tribes  are  first  called  out  to  pursue  the  fleeing  foe;   but  35 
7,2-8  suppose   that  Gideon   had   assembled   at   least   his   own   tribe,   Manasseh, 

5  and  perhaps  v.  35^  may  come  originally  from  E.     If  so,  it  would  naturally  stand 
after  vv.  36-40. 

(29)  This  second  miraculous  sign  is  superfluous  after  vv.  2[-24;    it  is  very  36-40 
natural,   however,  if,  in   a   parallel   account  of  the  call  of  Gideon,  the  summons 

to  deliver  Israel  came  to  him,  as  often  in  E,  in  a  dream  or  night  vision.     Notice 
10  God  (E/ohim)  throughout,  instead  of  Jhvh. 

(30)  The  words  are  probably  a  reminiscence  of  Gen.  18,32.  39 

(31)  These  places  are  generally  thought  to  have  been  in  or  near  the  Plain  7,1 
of  Jezreel.     Eii-harod  has  been  identified  with   ' Ain  Jdlud,   a.  copious  spring  at 

the  foot  of  Mount  Gilboa ;  Gibeali  ha-moreh  is  then  supposed  to  be  the  hill 
15  on  the  northern  side  of  the  valley,  now  called  Jebel  Dah'i  (often  put  down  on 
the  maps  as  Little  Hermon).  The  positions  would  then  be  much  the  same 
which  were  occupied  by  Saul  and  the  Philistines  before  the  disastrous  battle 
of  Mount  Gilboa  (i  Sam.  28,4;  cf.  29,1);  but  all  this  rests  on  very  slender 
foundations.  The  name  ha-moreh  elsewhere  occurs  only  in  the  neighborhood 
20  of  Shechem  (Gen.  12,6;  Deut.  11,30). 

(32)  The  host  which  Gideon  has  collected  (6,35)  is  reduced  to  a  handful,  2-8 
to  teach   the  lesson  that  it  is  as  easy  for  Jhvh  to  deliver  by  few  as  by  many 

(i  Sam.  14,6),  and  to  compel  men  to  give  the  glory  to  Him  alone  (v.  2;  Is.  10, 

13-  15  ;  Dent.  8,  II  -  18;  9  ,4  f ;  cf.  i  Cor.  i ,  25-27). 
25  (33)  The  text,  let  hitn  return  and  .   .   .from  Mount  Giiead,  is  unintelligible;  3 

no  satisfactory  emendation  has  been  proposed. 

(34)  The   significance   of  this   test   is   not    quite   clear;    perhaps    those    who  6 

lapped   lil;e  dogs   were   thus  discovered    to    be    rude,    fierce   men    ( cf.  the  name 

Caleb). 
30  (35)  The  verse   e.xplains    how   Gideon's   three   hundred   men   came   to   have  8 

as  many  horns  and  jars  (v.  16). 

(36)  Cf.  6,3-5;  8,10.     The  verse,   as   it   stands,   is   the  work   of  an   editor;  12 
probably,   however,   a   description   of  the   great  numbers   of    Midian    stood   here 

in    J     also.     The    attempt    in    the   text  to   distinguish   this   element  is   merely  a 
35  possibility. 

(37)  Probably   a  particular   kind   of  flat,    round,   hard-baked   ash-rake.      The  13 
barley   bread  represents,   not  without  a  touch  of  Bedouin  contempt,   the  Israelite 
peasantry ;  the  tent  is  the  natural  symbol  of  the  nomad. 

(38)  An  erroneous  definiteness  has  been  given  to  the  first  part  of  the  inter-  14 
40  pretation  of  the  dream   by  a  gloss  from  v.  20 ;   the  second  clause  has  been  also 

made  unnecessarily  explicit  by  the  introduction  of  the  name  Midian. 

(39)  The  night  was  divided  into  three  watches;  not,  as  among  the  Romans,   19 
into  four  (Matth.  14,25;  Mark  6,48;  13,35;  Luke  12,38). 

(40)  The  direction  of  the   flight  is  none  the  clearer  for  this   multiplication  22 
45  of  names,  which   is  due  in  part  to  the  fusion  of  two  sources,  in  part  probably 

to  later  glosses.  The  places  are  all  unknown ;  but  the  following  narrative 
shous  that  we  are  to  look  for  them  in  the  valley  of  the  Jordan,  between 
Beth-shean  and  the  middle  fords  leading  to  Succotli.  Serexah  (Heb. )  is 
probably  miswritten  for  ScreAah  (i  Kings  11,26),  which  is  generally  believed  to 
50  be  the  same  as  Sarthan  ( i  Kings  4,12;  7,  46;  cf  2  Chron.  4,  17)  opposite  Succoth. 
Abel-meholali,  named  with  Sarthan  in  i  Kings  4,  12,  may  also  come  from  J. 

( 41 )  This  verse  conflicts  with  6 ,  35,  according  to  which  these  tribes  were  all  23 
called    out    before    the    attack    on    the   camp  of   Midian   (see   note    on   6,35). 
Naphtali   and  Asher  may  be  the   exaggeration   of  an    editor ;    those  tribes  were 

55  much   too  remote  to  be  of  any  use  in  such  a  pursuit. 


71  ^**e§e@Si.  Qtofco  on  3"53^'6 -^Ss^a**—  7.24-8,24 

(42)  The  Ephraimites,  descending  into  the  valley  of  the  Jordan  by  some  of  7,24 
the  great  wadies,    intercepted   the  Midianites  in  their  flight  southward  ;    perhaps 

at  the  stream  which  empties  into  the  Jordan  from  Wady  Far'ah.     In  the  spring 
this  stream  is  impassable,  as  are  also  the  adjacent  fords  of  the  Jordan.     In  the 
5  angle  between  the  two  the  enemy  would  be  in  a  trap. 

(43)  Cf.  Is.  10,26.     The  slaughter  of  Midian   is   also   referred   to  in   Is.  9,4;  25 
Ps.  83  ,  9-  12. 

.    (44)  This  verse  is  intended  to  harmonize  the  preceding  account  with  8,4  ff.: 

a    large    part    of   the    Midianites    escaped    across  the  Jordan ;    the   Ephraimites 

10  pursuing  them   came   up  with   Gideon,   who   had   crossed   at  another  ford.     The 

author  of  7,24  f,  on  the  contrary,  represents  Gideon  as  following  the  Midianites 

down  the  valley,  driving  them  into  the  arms  of  the  Ephraimites. 

(45)  Cf.  12,1-6.     The  great  tribe  was  jealous  of  its  leadership,  and  angry  8,1 
that  it  should   seem   to   be   ignored.     Gideon  appeased  them   by  a  conciliatory 

15  answer ;   why  should  they  be   angry,  when  the  glory  of  the  victory  had  fallen 
to  them,  after  all  ? 

(46)  Succoth  was  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Jordan,  not  far  from  the  fords  at  5 
which  the  main  road  from  Shechem  to  Gilead  crossed   the  river,  and  probably 
south  of  the  Jabbok  (see  note  on  11,  13). 

20  (47)  Zebah  and  Zalmunna,  the  two  Kings  of  Midian,  take  the  place  of  Oreb 

and  Zeeb,  the  two  chiefs  of  Midian  in  7,25  (cf.  Ps.  83,11).  The  traditional 
pronunciation  of  the  names  represents  a  popular  etymology. 

(48)  Penuel  was  in  the  upland,  apparently  on  the  Jabbok  at  the  point  where  8 
the  road  from  the  north  crossed  that  stream;  see  Gen.  33,  17;  i  Kings  12,25. 

25  (49)  The  stronghold   of  the  town,   which   was   itself  probably  unwalled ;   cf.  9 

V.  17;  9,47-5'  f- 

(50)  The  situation  of  Karkor  is   not  known.     The  latter  part  of  the  verse,   10 
with  its  enormous  numbers,  is  the  e.xaggeration  of  a  late  editor;  cf.  Num.  31. 

(51)  Jogbehah  (Num.  32,35)  is  probably  Kliirbct  cl-Jubcihdt.  about  midway  11 
30  between  cs-Salt  and  '. 41111110.11.     If  this  identification  be  correct,   the  direction  of 

the  flight  and  pursuit  was  southeast,  toward  the  desert.  The  site  of  Nobah  is 
unknown ;  it  is  not  el-Oana~wdi,  in  the  Hauran,  with  which,  on  the  strength  of 
Num.  32 ,  42,  it  has  been  sometimes  connected. 

(52)  It    has    been    suggested    that    the    description    which     might     be     here  \i 
35  e.xpected    of    the    surprise   of  the    camp,  has  been   combined   witli    that  of   the 

attack  on  the  Midianites  west  of  the  Jordan  in  7,  16  fif 

(53)  The  te.xt,   apparently  describing  the  way  by  which  Gideon  returned,   is  13 
unintelligible. 

(54)  He  carded  them,   dragging  them  over  a  bed  of  thorns  and   knapweed  16 
40  {cf   }d>iid  69");  a  form  of  torture  to  which  there  are  many  references  in  Greek 

authors  ;  e.  g.  Herodot.  i ,  92. 

(55)  He  does  not  need  to  be  told;  the  question  was  a  menace,  and  was  so  18 
understood.     The   kings  answer  in  the  same  spirit,  boasting  of  their  deed  with 
savage  bravado. 

45  (56)  His    brother's    blood    cries    for  vengeance.      Of    this    personal    wrong  19 

nothing  is  related  in  the  preceding  chapters ;  and  it  has  been  inferred  that  the 
antecedents  of  8,4-21  were  entirely  different  from  what  we  read  in  6.7;  but 
the  history  of  the  tradition  has  been  too  complex  to  justify  much  confidence 
on  this  point. 

50  (57)  Strings  of  jingling  crescents,   which  were  both   ornaments  and  amulets.  21 

Riding  camels  are  still  often  decorated  in  a  similar  way. 

(58)  With  this  offer  and  rejection  of  the  kingdom  on  theocratic  grounds  cf.  23 
I  Sam.  8,7;  10,  19;  12, 12  .  17. 19;  Hos.  13, 10  f ;  ('9,9;  10,  91  ). 

(59)  In  the  present  connection,  this  appears  to  be  a  surrogate  for  the  offer  24 


8,24-9>3  -^*6^^- (llofCB  on  Ju&gce -sssjjisM.. —  72 

of  the  kingdom  which   he  had  dechiied ;   but   it  is  very  unhliely  that  the  same  8 
author  who  in  v.  22  f.  makes  Gideon  so  scrupulous,  proceeded  in  the  next  breath 
to   tell   how  he   collected  gold   to  make  an  idol.     VV.   24-27  are  attributed  by 
most  critics   to   the  older  source  (J);   in  that  case  the  request  must  have  been 
5  addressed  to  Gideon's  own  clansmen  of  Abi-ezer. 

(60)  These  caravan  traders,   whose  connections  extended  to  the  gold  lands  24 
of  Arabia,  were  richer  in  such  things  than  the  peasants;  and,  like  other  nomads, 
they  carried  all  their  wealth  about  them. 

(61)  About  seventy  pounds  weight.  26 
10           ( 62 )  The   second    half-verse,    with    its    irrelevant   enumeration   of    the   other 

spoils  which  fell  to  Gideon,   is  plainly  a  later  addition. 

(63)  The  Ephod  here,  as  in  c.  17,  was  an  idol  of  some  kind,  as  the  author  27 
of  the  latter  part  of  the  verse  understood  it.     See  note  on  17,  5. 

(64)  The  cause  of  their  ruin;  cf.  2,3. 

15  (65)  On  this  and  the  following  verses  (30-32.33-35)  see  above,  p.  67,  11.  53  ff.   29 

(66)  As  in  all  similar  names,  melek  (king)  is  the  name  or  title  of  a  god.      31 

(67)  Cf.2,\^;  3,11.12;  4,1.     On  Baal-berith  see  note  on  9,4.  33 

(68)  Cf.  I  Sam.  10,  iS  f. ;  12,  11.  34 

(llotce  on  Chapter  9. 

20  The   history    of  Abimelech    differs    from    all    the    others    in   2,5-16,31    in 

having  no  introduction  or  conclusion  such  as  D  has  provided  for  the  rest. 
The  story  did  not  lend  itself  to  his  moralizing,  and  was  therefore  omitted  from 
the  Deuteronomistic  Book  of  Judges.  It  is,  however,  the  original  sequel  of  the 
story   of  Gideon  ;    is   derived   from  the  same   sources ;   and   had   a   place   in   the 

25  pre-Deuteronomic  Judges.  A  post-Exilic  editor  restored  it  to  its  place,  providing 
it  with  a  few  words  of  introduction  (8,3if)  derived  in  substance  from  the 
history  itself  The  chapter  is  not  a  unit,  as  appears  most  plainly  in  the  two 
accounts  of  the  attack  upon  Shechem,  vv.  30-41  and  vv.  42-45.  The  greater 
part   of  the   chapter   is   derived   from    E  ;   but   the   story   of  Gaal  and  the  unsuc- 

30  cessful  revolt  of  the  .Shechemites  (vv.  26-41)  is  from  a  different  source;  pre- 
sumably J. 

The  chapter  is  of  great  interest  for  the  glimpse  whicli  it  gives  us  of  the 
relations  of  the  Israelites  to  the  older  population  of  the  land,  among  or  beside 
whom   they   settled    (c.  1).     It   has  often  been  regarded  as  a  kind  of  prelude  to 

35  the  history  of  the  kingdom  of  Saul  ;  but  it  is  doubtful  whether  so  much  signifi- 
cance should  be  ascribed  to  it.  Abimelech  was  king  of  the  Canaanite  city  of 
Shechem  ;  how  far  his  authority  was  recognized  by  purely  Israelite  communities 
does  not  appear. 

(i)  Abimelech's   mother   was   a   Canaanite    woman    of    Shechem,    who,    like  9,1-3 

40  Samson's  Timnathite  wife  (  14  .  15  ,  1-8),  was  not  married  into  the  man's  family, 

but  remained  in   her  own.     The  offspring  of  such  a  union  naturally  belonged 

to  the   mother's  clan.     Abimelech   makes  use  of  this  relation  to  gain  over  the 

people  of  Shechem. —  Shcc/ieni,  the  modern  Ndbiilus  (Neapolis)  lies  in  the  heart 

of  the   Highlands   of  Ephraim,    in  a   valley   between   Mount   Ebal   on   the  north 

45  and   Mount  Gerizim  on  the  south   (see  full  page   illustration   facing  p.  20).     Its 

position   at  the   intersection    of  the   great   roads,   east    and   west   and    north   and 

south,  made  it   at   all   times   a   place   of  commanding   importance. —  The    citizens 

of  Shechem.   lit.    the   proprietoi-s  ( Heb.  hdalbn).      That    they  were    Canaanites 

appears   plainly   from  vv.  26  ff. ;   but    it   is   not   so  clear  that  the  author    of  vv. 

50  1-25.42  ff.   .so   represented   them;   Josh.  24,1-25   (E)    supposes    that    Shechem 

was   in   the  hands  of  the  Israelites  before  the  death  of  Joshua. 


73  -^-Msl^is- Qlofc0  on  3"^3^6  •*®}#5*««—  9,4-24 

(2)  Baal-berith  was  the  god  of  Shechem.     E!-berith  (v.  46)  is  doubtless  the  9,4 
same   deity;    the  names   are   entirely   equivalent   in   meaning;    el  is   the   divinity 
who    inhabits    the    place,    bdal,   the   divinity  to   whom   it    belongs.      The   origin 
and   significance    of  the   name    Baal-(El-)berith    is    unknown;    the   most  natural 

5  interpretation  of  the  words  is,  One  who  is  a  party  to  a  covenant.  —  Seventy 
shekels  of  silver,  intrinsically  worth  thirty-five  or  forty  dollars  (seven  or  eight 
pounds  sterling)  of  our  money,  but  having,  of  course,  in  ancient  times  a  vastly 
greater  purchasing  power. 

(3)  Like    cattle    slaughtered    in    the    open    field    (i  Sam.  14,33  f;  ef.  Deut.  5 
10  12,  16.23  f).     The  motive  is  probably  to   be   sought   in   animistic   superstitions; 

he  disposed  of  the  blood  of  his  victims,  in  which  was  their  life  (ef.  Lev.  17,  10  f  ), 
so  that  they  should  give  him  no  further  trouble. 

(4)  Beth-millo  [ef  v   20)  must  have  been  a  town  in  the  vicinity  of  Shechem.  6 
It  is  often,  but  without  sufficient  ground,  thought  to  be  the  same  as  the  Tower 

15  of  Shechem  (vv.  46-49). —  The  Monument  Tree,  a  holy  tree  beside  which  was  a 
standing  stone  (inafgebdh);  see  Josh.  24,26f,  and  Gen.  35,4. — Mount  Gerizivi 
was  famous  in  later  times  as  the  Holy  Mountain  of  the  Samaritans,  whose 
temple  (from  the  4t'>  or  5th  cent.  B.C.)  stood  upon  its  summit,  on  the  spot 
where   the   ruins   are  seen  in   the  picture   facing   p.  iS.     See  John  4,2of. ;  Jose- 

20  phus,  Ant.  xi.  7,  2  ;   8,  2  f.,  and  ef.  Neh.  13,  28  f. 

(5)  Jotham's  fable   of  the  trees  who  chose  a   king,  with   its  pointed  appli-  7  ff. 
cation  to  the  citizens    of   Shechem    and    their  new  lord,    is    the    most    striking 
example  of  this  kind  of  apologue  in  the  OT.     It  is  believed  by  many  scholars 
that  the  fable  itself  (vv.  S-15)   is   a  piece   of  ancient   Hebrew  folk-lore,   w^hich 

25  the  author  of  vv.  7-21  borrowed  and  applied.  In  confirmation  of  this  view  it 
is  urged  that  the  application  does  not  altogether  correspond  to  the  fable :  in 
V.  15  the  question  is,  whether  the  trees  are  acting  in  good  faith  in  making 
the  thorn  king;  in  v.  16  it  is,  whether  the  Shechemites  have  acted  in  good  faith 
toward   the    House    of   Jerubbaal   in   making   Abinielech   king.      Such   looseness 

30  in  the  logic  of  the  moral  is  not  uncommon ;  more  than  one  of  the  parables 
in  the  NT  might  be  adduced  in  which  the  connection  of  text  and  application 
is  no  closer  than  in  Jotham's  fable.  We  are  hardly  warranted,  therefore,  in 
attributing  vv.  8-15  to  a  different  author  from  the  following  verses.  Nor  is 
there  sufficient  reason  for  regarding,  with  other  critics,  vv.  7-21  altogether  as  a 

35  secondary  addition  to  the  story. 

(6)  The  natural  teaching  of  the  fable  is  that  the  good  and  faithful  members  15 
of   the  community   have   too   much   to   do   in   their   own   calling   to   lay   it  aside 
for  the  sake  of  ruling  their  fellows;   it  is  only  the  worthless  and   pestilent  sort 
who  are  willing  to  be  vested  with  such  authority. 

40  (7)  VV.  leb-iga  are  regarded   by  some  critics  as  a   long  gloss  on  v.  16^:  19 

this  rehearsal  of  Jerubbaal's  services  and  the  Shechemites'  ingratitude  interrupts 
the  speech  (observe  the  resumption  of  the  thread  in  v.  19^).  The  verses  are 
certainly  not  indispensable  ;  but  they  are  appropriate  enough,  and  have  a  vigor 
and  individuality  of  expression  not  usually  found  in  glosses. 

45  (S)   r/:  V.  isb;  vv.  42-49. 50-54. 56  f  20 

(9)  The  site  of  Beer  is  not  certainly  known;  perhaps  el-B'ireh  (Beeroth),  21 
north  of  Jerusalem. 

(10)  There  is  no  hint  in  what  precedes  that  Abimelech  ruled  over  Israel  22 
at  all ;   either  the  verse  is  altogether  from  the  hand  of  an  editor,  or  the  name 

50  Israel  has  been  substituted  for  an  original  Shechem. 

(ii)  Literally,  an  evil  spirit;  cf.  i  Sam.  16,  14;  l8,  10  (an  evil  divine  spirit);  23 
19,9;   I  Kings  22,19-23  (in  Ahab's  prophets). 

(12)  The  verse  is  not  improbably  by  RJ^,  emphasizing  again  the  moral  of  24 
the  history. 


9.25-50  — 944^^35- (llotce  on  ^K^S'"  "*S*5^w-« —  74 

(13)  The   sequel   of  v.  25   is    not   vv.  26-41,    but   vv.  42  ff.;    the    episode   of  9,25 
Gaal  is  from  a  different  source. 

(14)  The  story  of  Gaal  begins  abruptly;   in  the  original  source  from  which  26 
it  was  taken,  it  is  probable  that  the  readers  had  already  been  informed  who  this 

5  agitator  was,  and  perhaps  what  his  previous  relations  to  Abimelech  had  been. 
His  name  was  perhaps  Goal  (Josephus,   Gyales),  rather  than  Ga'al. 

(15)  The    vintage    was    doubtless,    as    among    other    peoples,  a    season    of  27 
religious   festivities   in   honor  of  the  god  of  the  vine.      Gaal  took  advantage  of 
this,  and   when  the   heads   of  the   vintagers  were   hot   with    wine   and   with   the 

10  excitement  of  the  feast,  instigated  a  revolt  against  Abimelech. 

(16)  That   is,    W/ial  is  this  Abimelech   to   us,  the  citizens  of  Shechein,    tliat   28 
we  should  serve  him  !  This  verse  is  difficult,  and  has  been  variously  interpreted. 

It  seems  clear,  however,  that  Gaal   is  inciting  the   native  Shechemites  to  revolt 
against    this    Israelite    half-breed    who    presumes    to    lord    it    over    the    ancient 
15  Hamorite  aristocracy  of  Shechem,  to  whom  he  himself  had  once  been  subject. 

(17)  Abimelech's  representative  in  the  city.  30 
(iS)  Arumah  seems   to  have   been  Abimelech's   residence;    see  v.  41.     The  31 

Hebrew  text  is  generally  translated  secretly  (it  would  be  better,  treacherously); 
but  this  appears  impossible  in  the  context. 

20  (19)  The  localities  thus  designated   are  not  known;    the  first,  to  judge  irom  37 

the  name,  would  seem  to  have  been  a  rounded  knob  ;  the  second  was,  or  had 
been,  the  seat  of  a  certain  class  of  soothsayers  {me'oncnvm);  cf.  the  Moreh 
Tree,  Gen.  12,6;  and,  perhaps,  Jud.  7,  i. 

(20)  Abimelech  did  not  force  his  way  into  the  town,  but,  having  sufficiently  41 

25  chastised  the  rebels,  returned  to  Arumah.  The  Shechemites  had  experienced 
enough  of  Gaal,  and  were  willing  to  have  him  made  a  scape-goat.  Zebul 
accordingly  expelled  him  and  his  kin,  and  peace  was  restored. —  The  site  of 
Arumah  is  not  identified;  El-'Ormeh,  two  hours  SE  of  Shechem,  has  been 
suggested,  but  without  any  reason  except  the  fancied  resemblance  of  the  names. 

30  (21)  VV.  42-45   are   not  the   continuation   of  vv.  34-41,  but   of  the   parallel  42 

narrative  in  vv.  22-25.  When  the  news  was  brought  to  Abimelech  that  the 
Shechemites  were  infesting  the  highways,  he  resolved  to  punish  them  ;  and  the 
ne.xt  time  they  set  out  on  a  marauding  expedition  he  laid  an  ambush  for  them. 
The  stratagem  is  very  similar  to  that  described  in  vv.  34-41  ;   cf.  also  Josh.  8. 

35  (22)  Probably  a  symbol  of  perpetual  desolation.     In  Hebrew,  as  well  as  in  45 

Assyrian,  Arabic,  and  Syriac,  salt  ground,  properly  ground  covered  icith  a 
saline  crust,  is  a  barren  waste  in  which  not  even  the  scanty  vegetation  of  the 
desert  can  grow.  Cf.  Deut.  29,23;  Job  39  ,  6  ;  Ps.  107,34;  Jer.  17,6.  Parallels 
to  the  strewing  of  a  devastated   country  with   salt   are   found   in   the   cuneiform 

40  inscriptions.  If  Shechem  was  actually  destroyed  during  the  period  of  the  Judges, 
it  was  soon  rebuilt  (see  i  Kings  12,  i.  25). 

(23)  The  Tower  of  Shechem   was    not  a   stronghold    within    the    city,    like  46 
that  at  Thebez  (v.  51),  but  stood  outside  of  the  walls,  and  apparently  at  some 
little  distance.     The  people  in  the  Tower  were   Shechemites,  and   had  joined  in 

45  the  revolt.  The  temple  of  El-berith  is  not  improbably  the  same  which  in  v.  4 
bears  the  name  of  Baal-berith  ;  see  note  on  the  latter  verse.  The  word  trans- 
lated crypt  is  found  besides  only  in  i  Sam.  13 , 6,  where  it  plainly  denotes  a 
hiding  place,  probably  subterranean  ;  and  the  same  meaning  is  perhaps  admissible 
here,  if  we  may  suppose  that  the  crypt  was  an  excavation  in  the   earth  or  rock, 

50  not  under,  but  behind  the  temple.  The  interpretation  is,  however,  extremely 
uncertain.     Others  translate  to7ver,  which  will  not  at  all  apply  in  Samuel. 

(24)  Thebez  also  had  Joined  in  the  revolt  begun    by    Shechem,    and,    like  50 
the  latter,  was   probably  a  Canaanite  town  (see  v.  55).     It  is  identified  with  the 
modern    Ttibds,  a  large   village  about   four  hours  NE  of  Ndbulus  (Shechem  )  on 

55  the  road  to  Beisan. 


75 


^^-H3^*g»-  (JiotiB  on  Jubgce  •!«M|ia*« — 


9,53-10,4 


(25)  The    upper    stone    of    a 
thirty  pounds. 

(26)  To  die  by 
a  woman's  hand  was 

5  an      ignominy :     c/. 

4 , 9.       Compare    in 

general  the  death  of 

Saul,  I  Sam.  31 ,4  f 

That        Abime- 

10  rising  against  the  power  of  the  half-Israelite  Abimelech. 

{27)  The  moral  of  the  history;  cf.  vv.  16-20.24. 


hand-mill,  which  might  weigh  twenty-five  or  9 ,  53 
ri  lech's  followers  were 
Israelites  is  of  prime  54 
importance  for  the 
understanding  of  the 
whole  story.  The 
revolt  of  Shechem 
and  the  other  towns 
was      a     Canaanite 


57 


MODERN    PALESTINI.\N    H.\ND-MILL. 


Qtefee  on  10,1-5. 

Tola  and  Jair,  with  Ibzan,  Elon,  and  Abdon  (12,8-15)  constitute  the  group 
of  Jl/iiior  Judges ;  so-called  because  in  comparison  with  Ehud,  Deborah  and 
15  Barak,  Gideon,  Jephthah,  and  Samson,  little  or  nothing  is  narrated  of  them  ; 
see  above,  p.  53,  II.  49  fF. 

The  color  (dark  purple)  which  is  given  to  these  verses  in  the  te.\t  here 
indicates  only  that  the  Minor  Judges  were  probably  included  in  the  pre-Deuter- 
onomic  Book  of  Judges  (JE). 

20  (i)    To/a    is    the    name    of   a   clan   of   Issachar   (Gen.  46,13;  Num.  26,231,   10,2 

apparently  the  leading  clan  of  the  tribe  (i  Chron.  7,1  fif. )  ;  Puah,  here  Tola's 
father,  appears  in  the  genealogical  lists  as  his  brother,  that  is,  another  clan 
of  the  same  tribe.  The  name  Dodo  (or  Dodai)  appears  in  the  catalogue  of 
Dav'id's   heroes   (2  Sam,  23,9.24),    and   has   been   lately   found    in   the   Amarna 

25  tablets  (Dudu).  Shamir  has  not  been  identified;  as  the  seat  of  a  clan  of 
Issachar,  we  may  infer  that  it  lay  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  Highlands 
of  Ephraim,  not  far  from  the  Plain  of  Jezreel  (see  on  6,33).  The  branches 
of  Issachar  which  settled  south  of  the  plain  by  the  side  of  the  great  tribe  of 
Joseph  seem  often,  like  Benjamin  in  the  south,  to  be  included  in  Joseph. 

30  Observe    the    form    of   the    chronological    note,     differing    from    that    which 

regularly  concludes  the  histories  of  the  Greater  Judges. 

(2)  Jair  is  a    clan   of  East   Manasseh  (.Machir),   Num.  32,39-41,  whose  vil-  4 
lages   (Havoth-jair)   formed  a   district  in   Gilead.      The   conquest  of  this  region 
by  Manassite  clans  was  the  result  of  a  returning  wave  of  migration  from  Western 

35  Palestine  (e/..  perhaps.  Josh.  17,14-18).  Canton  is  perhaps  Kum'em.  west  of 
Irbid.  The  thirty  saddle-asses  have  been  brought  from  12 ,  14.  probably  through 
a  confusion  of  the  words  for  cities  (Heb.  'arhii)  and  asses  (Heb.  'ayariiii). 


(Tletee  en  10,6-18. 

This  passage   repeats  and   enforces  the   moral   of  the   history,    as   a   preface 

40  to  a  new  period  of  oppression;  r/!  2,  6-21  ;  6,  7-10.     It  is  not  all  of  one  piece; 

vv.  II -16  is   not,   as   a  whole,   the   work   of  D;  its   affinities   are   rather   with   6, 

7-  10;  Josh.  24  ;  I  Sam.  7.  12  (  E^).     The  antecedents  of  vv.  11 -16  are  (in  vv.  6-10) 

wrought  into   D's   introduction  to  the  Ammonite  oppression  from  which   Israel 


iO,6-i8  — »*s^«*K<- (lto(c6  on  Jubgce -sjBJ&a**—  76 

was  delivered  by  Jephthah.  It  is  possible  that  the  words  in/o  the  power  of  the 
Philistines  (v.  7 )  are  a  fragment  of  this  source,  in  which  case  the  passage  will 
have  been  IC's  introduction  to  the  Philistine  oppression  in  the  days  of  Eli  and 
Samuel.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  possible  that  the  name  of  the  Philistines  was 
5  inserted  here  by  a  later  hand,  to  make  the  introduction  serve  for  the  story 
of  Samson  as  well  as  for  that  of  Jephthah.  In  the  catalogue  of  foreign  gods 
worshiped  by  the  Israelites  (v.  6)  and  in  the  long  list  of  their  oppressors  (v. 
II)  we  cannot  fail  to  recognize  the  hand  of  later  editors  or  scribes;  in  v.  11, 
indeed,  the  glosses  have  wrecked  the  sentence.  The  color  of  vv.  11 -16  is 
10  meant  to  indicate  that  these  verses  are  not  originally  D's ;  the  question  whether 
they  may  have  been  retouched  by  him,  and  to  what  extent,  is  not  decided.  In 
the  rest,  though  a  basis  of  E  may  underlie  vv.  6-10,  it  is  impossible  to  separate 
it  from  the  overlying  introduction  of  D. 

(i)  Tliis   catalogue   comprises   all   the  neighboring  nations;    cf.  2,12;  Deut.  10,6 
15  6,  14;  13.7  f     It  is  probably  an  editorial  gloss.     On  the  Baals  and  Astaitcs,  the 
gods  of  Canaan,  see  note  on  2 ,  13. 

(2)  On  this  verse  see  above,  1.  i.     The  following  narrative   deals   only   witli  7 
the  oppression  of  the  Israelites  in  Gilead  by  the  Anuiionites ;  the  Philistines  first 
appear  in  the  story  of  Samson,  cc.  13-16. 
20  ( 3 )  That  year,  eighteen  years,  is  obviously  a   doublet ;   the  latter  belongs  to  S 

D's  chronology;  the  former  seems  to  be  a  fragment  of  E;  e/.  11,4,  where  we 
might  translate,  after  a  year.  The  rest  of  the  verse  is  very  likely  by  the  same 
hand  as  v.  9^,  an  editorial  gloss  emphasizing  the  universality  of  the  judgment, 
and  explaining  how  the  Ammonites  oppressed  the  tribes  west  of  the  Jordan.  It 
25  need  hardly  be  said  that  the  story  of  Jephthah  knows  nothing  of  such  a  state 
of  things. — For  the  land  of  the  Amorites  who  were  in  Gilead,  cf.  11, 19  ff. 

(4)  Judah  is  mentioned  besides  only  in  15,9-13;  18,12.  9 

(5)  Of-  "^'-  '5;   1  Sam.  12,  lo;  Num.  14,40;  21,7.     This  formula  of  confession  10 
is  peculiarly  frequent  in  E. 

30  (6)  Tills  enumeration  of  Israel's  oppressors  has  apparently  grown  under  the  12 

hand  of  successive  editors,  as  is  the  wont  of  such  lists.  The  deliverance  from 
the  Ammonites,  and  the  oppression  by  the  Philistines  and  deliverance  from 
them,  were  still  future,  and  could  not  be  appealed  to  as  conspicuous  evidences 
of  Jhvh's  goodness  in  the  past;  of  an  Amorite  oppression  we  know  nothing  — 

35  the  conquest  of  the  Amorite  Sihon  by  Israel  (Num.  21 ,  21  if. )  can  hardly  be 
reckoned  an  oppression  of  Israel  by  Sihon  —  and  we  have  equally  little  informa- 
tion about  a  Phfenician  oppression. 

For   Maonites  of  the   Received  Text  we  are  to   read  Jl/idianites ;    otherwise 
we  should   have   here   another  unknown  oppressor,  while  the  Midianites,  whose 

40  devastations  are  so  vividly  depicted  in  6,1  ff.,  would  be  lacking.  Finally,  Moab 
(c.  3)  and  the  Canaanites  (cc.  4.5)  are  not  included  in  this  singular  list  (both 
are  added  by  some  of  the  Versions).     Compare,  for  the  rest,  i  Sam.  12,  10. 

(7)  See  Jer.  2  ,  28 ;  Deut.  32  ,  37  f ;  2  Kings  3 ,  13.  14 

(8)  Cf.  2  Sam.  24,  14;  2  Mace.  10,4.  15 
45           (9)  r/!  Josh.  24,  20.  23;  I  Sam.  7,3;  Gen.  35,2.4;  Deut.  31  ,  16.  16 

(10)   In   its  original  connection,  v.  16  must   have  been  immediately  followed   16-18 
by  the  raising  up  of  the  deliverer;  vv.  17  f   are  an  editorial  introduction  to  the 
story  of  Jephthah,  the  material   for  which   is  chiefly  extracted   from   c.  11,   much 
as  8,33-55  is  drawn  from  c.  9.— With  the  last  sentence  (/.  11,8.9.11. 


77 


— »*e^e®if  Qlofco  on  ^ui^ee  •!!?©§»*<- — 


11,1-4 


Q,Io(ce  on  11,1-12,7. 

In  the  story  of  Jephthah  tlie  long  argument  defending  Israel's  title  to  Gilead 
( 1 1  ,  1 2  -  28 )  is  clearly  foreign  to  the  original  narrative.  The  material  for  it  is 
taken,  in  part  word  for  word,  from  Num.  20.21;  and  though  it  purports  to 
5  be  addressed  to  the  King  of  Amnion,  it  really  deals  exclusively  with  Israel's 
relations  to  the  lifoabitcs :  Chemosh  (v.  24)  is  the  national  god  of  Moab ;  Balak 
(v.  25),  whose  course  is  contrasted  with  that  of  the  present  King,  was  King  of 
Moab ;  the  places  named  in  v.  26  are  Moabite  cities.  The  introduction  of  this 
long  interpolation  has  done  some  injury  to  the  conte.xt ;  vv.  ya  f  are  the  original 

10  sequel  of  v.  11=1;  v.  ii^  seems  to  belong  after  v.  31 ;  v.  29  is  a  doublet  to  v.  32. 
The  section  12,1-6  is  also  regarded  by  some  critics  as  an  addition  in  imitation 
of  8,1-3;  but  without  sufficient  grounds.  From  what  source  the  story  of 
Jephthah  is  derived  it  is  not  possible  to  say  with  confidence.  So  far  as  the 
general    impression   which   the   narrative   makes   may   be   trusted,    we   should    be 

15  inclined  to  attribute  it  to  E.     It  is,  of  course,  ultimately  of  Gileadite  origin. 

(i)  VV.  1^.2  are  a  late  gloss,  spun  out  of  v.  i^  combined  with  v.  7.  11, 

(2)  The   outlawed   man   took   to   the   life   of  a   freebooter,  just  as  a  modern  3 
Arab  inevitably  does  under  like  circumstances  —  there  is  no   other  way  in   which 
he  can  live  ;    cf.  the  case  of  David,   i  Sam.  22  ,  i  f. ;  23  ,  i  -  5  ;  25  ;  27 ,  7  ff.    Like  • 
20  David    (i  Sam.  22,2),   Jephthah    gathered  around   him   a   band    of  broken    men 
(9,4),  who  went  on  forays  with  him. —  T/ie  land  of  Tob  appears  to  have  been  an 
Aramean  district  (2  Sam.  io,6.S);  it  therefore  lay  north  or   northeast  of  Gilead. 


RUINS   OF   'AMMAN. 


(3)  The  Ammonites  were  of  the  same  stock  with  the  Moabites,  and  adjoined  4 
them  on  the  northeast,  where,  on  the   borders   of  the  desert,  they  lived  a  semi- 
25  nomadic  life.     Their  chief  town  was  Rahbath-auimoii   ("The  Great  Town  of  the 
Ammonites"),   now  'Amman,   on   the   upper  Jabbok.     The   Israelite  settlements 


11,5-" 


(Uofce  on  ^ui^te 


78 


in  Gilead  were  frequently  invaded   by  them  I  see  i  Sam,  ii,i  ff. );    David  waged  11 
an   embittered    war    with    them    (2  Sam.  10-12).      On    the    site   of  the  ancient 
Ammonite   capital,    Ptolemy   II    Philadelphus    (285-247    B.C.)    built    a   new  city, 


which  he  called 
5  F'hiladelphia.  The 
ruins  of  this  Ptole- 
maic city,  as  shown 
in  the  engraviuL',, 
are  among  the  tin 

10  est  in  the  region 
east  of  the  Jordan. 
(4)  V.  5"  is  su- 
perfluous beside  v. 
4,  and  may  be  sec- 

15  ondary. —  T/ie  Eld- 
ers of  Gilead  were 
the  heads  of  the 
families  and  clans ; 
the    Hebrew    word 

20  corresponds  in  mea- 
ning and  use  to 
the  Arab  sheikh. 
The  name  Gilead 
is  often  given  to  the 

25  whole  country  oc- 
cupied by  Israel  on 
the  east  of  the  Jor- 
dan, as  Canaan  is 
to  that  on  the  west 

30  of  the  river.     The 


GORGE  OP  THE  ARNON  NEAR  ITS  MOUTH 


of  this  region  are 
the  Yarinuk  on  the 
north  and  Wddy 
Mojib  (  Arnon )  on 
the  south.  The 
Zerqa  (Jabbok;  see 
note  1 1 )  divides  it 
into  two  parts:  the 
northern,  yifie/  Aj-  5 
It'in,  the  southern, 
the  Belqd,  each  of 
which  is  some- 
times called  Gilead. 
The  latter  is  the 
scene  of  our  story, 

(5)  E.xpulsion  7 
from  the  clan  v\'as 
! ,  not  merely  banish- 
^  ment ;  by  severing 
the  bond  of  kin- 
dred blood,  it  made 
a  man  an  outlaw, 
whose  wrongs  or 
whose  death  there 
was  none  to a\enge. 
Why  Jephthah  was 
drixen  out  is  not 
narrated  ;     a     later 


natural    boundaries 

writer  tries  to  supply  the  deficiency  in  vv.  it'.2. 

(6)  Because  we  did  banish  thee,  we  have  now  come  to  recall  thee 

(7)  He  makes  them  solemnly  repeat  their  pledge. 
35          (8)   Cf.    9,6. 


So  Saul  at  Gilgal 
(i  Sam.  II ,  15)  ; 
see  also  i  Kings 
1 2 ,  I  .  20 ;    I  ,  9  ff". , 

40  33  ft".  It  is  safe  to 
infer  that  in  Jeph- 
thah's  case  also 
the  acclamation 
took   place    at    a 

45  sanctuary,  proba- 
bly at  Mizpah,  as 
the  author  of  10, 
17  supposed.  But 
II  ,  lib,  which  ap- 

50  pears  to  give  di- 
rect testimony  on 
this  point,  really 
refers  not  to  these 


ceremonies,  but  to  11 
Jephthah's     vow; 
see  next  note. 

(9)  Before 
fHVH,  that  is  at 
a  holy  place,  be- 
fore the  upright 
stone,  altar,  or 
idol,  in  which  in 
olden  times  the 
god  was  believed 
to  be  ;  by  which, 
for  less  crude  con- 
ceptions, his  pres- 
ence was  symbol- 
ized. The  words 
have  no  appro- 
priateness in  their 
present      connec- 


tion,   while    they   are    essential   to   the   description  of  Jephthah's  vow  (vv.  3of. ). 


79  — !-s«!|SSie- (Jlo(c6  on  ^ui^te -m^^si*'^-  11,12-24 

The  displacement  is  one  of  the  consequences  of  the  long  interpolation,  vv.  12-28;  11 
see  further  on  v.  31. 

For  HRzpah,  see  note  on  v.  34. 

(10)  On  the  general  character  of  this  interpolation  see  p.  77,  11.  i  ff.     It  may  12 
5  be  surmised   that   this  defense  of  Israel's  rights  in  Gilead   is  not  a  mere  piece 

of  antiquarianism,  but  was  produced  at  a  time  when  the  Sons  of  Lot  were 
contesting  with  the  Israelites  (Gad)  the  possession  of  these  territories.  The 
style  of  this  passage  has  no  distinctive  marks.  In  the  te.xt  it  is  colored  light 
PURPLE  (RJ^),  merely  to  indicate  that  it  exhibits  no  traces  of  the  peculiar 
10  manner  of  D  or  of  the  language  of  the  latest  redactors. 

(11)  The  Anion,  now  IVddy  Mojib,  flows  into  the  Dead  Sea  from  the  east,   13 
about  midway  between  the  northern  and  southern  ends  of  the  sea.     Its  course 

is  a  deep  gorge  with  precipitous  sides.  T\i&  Jabbok  (Gen.  33,17;  cf.  32,30.31; 
Josh.  13,  27),  now  Nalir  cz-Zcrqa  (i.  e.  The  Blue  River),  is  the  principal  eastern 
15  affluent  of  the  Jordan,  rising  near  'Ai>ima>i  and  flowing  in  a  generally  northerly 
direction  to  about  the  middle  of  its  course ;  then  west,  through  a  deep  ravine 
between  Jcbcl  ' Ajlun  on  the  north  and  the  very  different  physical  region  of  the 
Bclqd  (see  note  4)  on  the  south. 

(12)  Cf.  Deut.  2,9.19.     The  cities  north  of  the  Anion  belonged   to   the  old  15 
20  territory  of  Moab.     They  were  conquered  by  Israel  under  Omri  (9ih  cent.  b.  c. ), 

but  recovered  by  Mesha,  King  of  Moab  (see  on  Is.  15,1-4),  a  generation  later. 
In  the  Prophets  they  always  appear  as  Moabite  cities  (Is.  15.16;  Jer.  48;  &c. ). 
In  the  decadence  of  Israel,  the  Ammonites  as  well  as  the  Moabites  enlarged 
their  borders  at  the  expense  of  the  Israelites  (see  Jer.  49 , 1  ;  Ezek.  25 ,  i  ff ;  r/". 
25  1  Mace.  5,6  fif.). 

(13)  This   is   not   very   clear;   by  the   connection   it   can   hardly   refer   to   the  16 
crossing  of  the  Red  Sea  (Exod.  13,18;  14);   perhaps  it  is  an  indistinct  reminis- 
cence of  Num.  14 ,  25t>  and  20 ,  14  ff". 

(14)  This  verse  is  dependent  on  Num.  20,14-21  ;   in  Deut.  i  ;  2, 4-8  there  17 
30  is  no  reference  to  these  negotiations  with  Edom. 

(15)  Of  this  embassy  to  Moab  there  is  no  account  in  the  Pentateuch.  The 
author  probably  reasoned  that,  if  Israel  proposed  to  pass  around  the  southern 
end  of  the  Dead  Sea,  the  consent  of  Moab  as  well  as  Edom  would  be  neces- 
sary ;   and   he  was  especially  concerned  to  emphasize  the  fact  that  the  Israelites 

35  had  respected  the  rights  of  Moab.  With  the  close  of  the  verse  cf.  Num.  20,  i; 
Deut.  I  ,  46. 

(16)  On  this  movement  see  Num.  20,22;  21,  4.  10  f  12  f  [cf.  Deut.  2).     The  18 
Arnon  is  the  boundary  of  Moab,  Num.  21,13;   22,36.     The  Israelites  marched 
along  the  edge   of  the  desert,    beyond    the  eastern  frontier  of  Moab,    till  they 

40  were  north  of  the  latitude  of  the  Arnon,  and  then  turned  westward ;  so  Num. 
21,  13- 

(17)  According    to    Num.  21,26-30,   the   Amorites   had    recently   conquered  19 
this   territory   north   of  the   Arnon   from   Moab. — Hcslibon,    often    named    in   the 
Prophets  as   one   of  the  chief  cities  of  Moab  (see,  e.g.  Is.  15,4;  Jer.  48,2),  is 

45  the  modern  Hesban,  about  sixteen  miles  east  of  the  northern  end  of  the  Dead 
Sea.  It  was  on  the  debatable  ground  between  Moab  and  Israel  (Gad),  and 
was  doubtless  more  than  once  conquered  and  reconquered. 

(18)  See    Num.  21,23;  Deut.  2,32.     Ja/iaz  also    was    a    town    of   northern  20 
Moab   (Is.  15,4;  Jer.  48 ,  21.  34;    Inscription   of  Mesha,  1.  19);   the  site  has   not 

50  been  recovered. 

(19)  This    was    exactly    the   territory   now  claimed   by   Animon    (v.  13);   cf.   22 
Num.  21  ,  24- 25;    Deut.  2,36  f.      In   the   latter  passages   it   is   explicitly   affirmed 
that  Israel  took  no  land  from  the  Ammonites. 

(20)  Each   people  should  possess  the  territory   which  its  own  god  has  given  24 


11,25-12,1  — ^-fe^msf- QloUe  on  ^ub^te •!^im^a*< —  So 

it  by  conquest,  and  should  recognize  the  same  right  in  others. —  Chemosh  was  ii 
tlie  national  god  of  Moab,  not  of  Ammon,  whose  god  was  Milcom ;  see 
I  Kings  1 1 , 5  ■  7 .  33  ;  2  Kings  23 ,  1 3 ;  J  er.  48  ,  46 ;  49 ,  i .  3  ;  cf.  also  the  Inscription 
of  Mesha,  King  of  Moab  (see  on  Is.  15,4).  The  name  here  is  not  an  accidental 
5  .slip  on  the  part  of  the  writer ;  the  whole  argument  deals  with  Moab  only, 
though  nominally  addressed  to  Anmion. 

(21)   Balak,  the  King  of  Moab  at  the  time  of  the  Conquest,  did  not  venture  25 
to   contest   with    Israel   the   possession   of   the   land   north   of   the   Arnon    ( Num. 
22,2  ff. ).     Should  the  present  King  be  better  able  to  do  so? 

10  (22)  On    Hcshbon   see   note  on  v.  19. — Jaazer   (Num.  21,32;   2  Sam.  24,5;  26 

&c. )  was  eight  or  ten  miles  west  of  Rabbath-ammon  ('Aimnd?!),  the  boundary 
of  Ammon  in  that  direction  (Num.  21,24,  I-XX).  For  Jaasey  and  the  towns 
iuliich  are  along  the  Jordan,  the  Received  Text  has  Arocr  and  the  towns  which  are 
along  the  Arnon,  —  places  much   fa'rther  south. —  Three  hundred  years  is   almost 

15  exactly  the  sum  of  the  years  of  oppression  before,  and  of  security  after,  the 
successive  Judges,  which  count  up  (exclusive  of  the  Ammonite  oppression,  10, 8) 
301  years.  This  agreement,  which  can  hardly  be  accidental,  shows  that  the 
computation  was  made  on  the  basis  of  the  present  chronology  of  the  Book, 
and   is   consequently  very  late.     It  is  not  quite  certain,  however,  that  the  words 

20  are  part  of  the  original  text.  The  last  clause  of  v.  26  (at  that  time)  would  be 
more  naturally  understood  of  the  first  occupation  of  the  region. 

(23)  V.  29   is   the   work   of   the   editor  who   introduced   vv.  12-28,    a   some-  29 
what   unskilful   attempt   to   pick   up   the  thread   of  the  narrative.     The   Israelites 
were  already   assembled,  probably   at   Mizpah  (v.  11);    the   invasion   of  Ammon 

25  comes  in  due  course  in  v.  32.  The  movements  described  in  the  text  are  quite 
unintelligible.     The  first  clause,  however,  may  be  original  (before  v.  32). 

(24)  Before   the   interpolation  of  vv.  12-28,  vv.  30  and  31  stood  after  v.  ii^i:  31 
having    been   made   chief  by  the   people,    Jephthah    vowed   that   if  Jhvh   would 
give   him   victory   in  the  coming  campaign  he  would  offer  Him  a  burnt-offering. 

30  V.  lit  followed  V.  31  :  this  vow  was  made  with  all  solemnity  at  the  holy  place  at 
Mizpah.  Then  the  spirit  of  Jhvh  came  upon  him  (v.  293a)  ;  he  placed  himself 
at  the  head  of  the  men  of  Gilead  and  marched  against  the  enemy  (v.  32). 

That  Jephthah  vows  to   sacrifice  a   human  victim,  of  his  own  household,  is 
as  plain  as  words  can  make  it.     Whom  it  shall  be  is  left  to  Jhvh  to  designate: 

35  whoever  comes  first  out  of  the  house  to  meet  the  returning  conqueror  will  be 
recognized  by  Jephthah  as  Jhvh's  choice.  With  the  vow  cf.  Gen.  28,  20- 22  ; 
I  Sam.  I ,  II ;  2  Sam.  15 ,  7  f ;  for  the  sign,  cf.  Gen.  24,  12  ff. 

(25)  Aroer   is   here   not  the  Moabite   city  of  that  name   on  the   Arnon  (see  ii 
above,  1.  13,  note  on  v.  26),  but  Aroer   which   is   east  of  Rabbah    (Josh.  13,25), 

40  an  Ammonite  town  ;  the  other  places  are  unknown.  The  words  tivcnty  cities, 
which  stand  in  a  strange  connection,  are  very  likely  a  gloss. 

(26)  Mizpah  in  Gilead,  v.  29;  Hos.  5,1  ;   see  note  on  Jud.  12,7.     The  site  is  34 
unknown ;  the  identification  of  the  place  with  Ramoth  in  Gilead  is  not  probable. 
From   the   present  story   it  may  be,  perhaps,   inferred  that  Mizpah  was  not  very 

45  far  from  the  modern  es-Salt,  and  we  might  then  think  of  Jebe/  Oshd,  an  hour 
north  of  that  place ;   but  the  data  are  insufficient  for  more  than  a  surmise. 

(27)  Cf.  I  Sam.  18, 6f  (21,11;  29,5);  Exod.  iS,2of 

(28)  The   fine   reticence   with   which   the  author   draws   a   veil   over  the  last  39 
act  of  the   tragedy   is   abused   by   those   who   interpret :   he  consecrated  her  as  a 

50  virgin  priestess,  or  shut  her  up  for  life  in  a  cell,  which  was  not  what  Jephthah 
had  vowed  to  do  at  all. 

(29)  C7".  8 ,  I  -  3.    The  two  stories  are  alike  only  in  the  arrogance  with  which  12  ,  i 
the  great  tribe  of  Ephraim  asserts  its  right  to  have  a  hand  in  every  fray. 


8i  — «*e§ss*- (l,to<C0  on  ^"^S'B -iS^jgsM-c- —  13,2-15 

Zaphon  lay  east  of  the  Jordan,   in   the  valley,  not  far  from   Succoth   (Josh.  12 
13,27),  in    the   vicinity   of   the   principal   ford   crossing    from    the   Highlands   of 
Ephraim  to  Gilead. 

(30)  Jephthah   speaks   in   the   person   of  his   countrymen   of  Gilead.      In   the  2 
5  foregoing   narrative   there   is   no   mention   of  this  attempt  to  get  help  from  their 

kinsmen   across   the   river.      Such   an   appeal    would    be   very   natural,    however, 
and  may  well  be  imagined  to  have  preceded  the  calling  of  Jephthah. 

(31)  The   latter   part   of  this   verse    is    in   part    an    accidental    repetition    of  4 
a  clause  from  v.  5,  in  part  a   series   of  glosses  —  unsuccessful   attempts   to   make 

10  the  text  intelligible. 

(32)  With   the   seizure   of   the   fords   cf.  3,28;   7,24.      A    peculiarity   in   the  6 
pronunciation   of  the   sibilants   betrayed    the   Ephraimites,   just  as   our   //;   is   the 
shibboleth    of  foreigners.      Some   scholars   think   that   the   Ephraimites   said  skib- 
bo/e/li,  with  sk  instead  of  sh  ( if.  our  sc/iedii/f,   i.  e.  skcdul,  in  England  conmionly 

15  slicdnl).  Others  believe  that  the  Ephraimites  pronounced  shibboleth  with  an 
initial  //;,  thibboleth.  Similarly,  in  the  great  massacre  of  the  French  in  Sicily  on 
March  31,  1282  A.  D.  (the  Sicilian  Vespers),  the  foreigners,  it  is  said,  were  made 
to  betray  themselves  by  their  pronunciation  of  the  words  ceci  e  eicevi :  those 
who   pronounced   Italian   c  {i.  e.   English   eh)  as   in   French  (sesi  e  siseri)  were 

20  hewn  down  on  the  spot. 

(33)  The  formula  is  the  same   that  is  used  of  the  Minor  Judges,  and   differs  7 
from  that  employed  by  D,  e.  g.  3 ,  29 .  30. 

(llofce  on  12,8-15. 

The  second  group  t>f  Minor  Judges,  including   Ib-aii,   Eton,  and  Abdoii  ;   see 
25  above.  10, 1-5,  and  p.  53,  11.  49  ff. 

( 1 )  By   this    verse    the    succession   of  Judges   following    is    annexed   to  the  8 
story  of  Jephthah,  as  the  former  series  to  the  story  of  Abimelech  by  10,  i. 

Bethlehem   is   not   the   place   of   that   name   in    Judah,    but    the    less    known 
Bethlehem  in  Zebulun  (Josh.  19,15),  now  Beit  Lahm,  about  seven  miles  W'NW 
30  of  Nazareth. 

(2)  These   family  statistics   are  probably  to   be  understood,    as   in   the   case  9 
of  Jair  (10,3-5),  of  the  branches  and  alliances  of  a  considerable  clan. 

(3)  The   traditional  pronunciation  makes  an  artificial  distinction  between  the  12 
man  Eton  and  the  town  Aijalon  ;  in  the  Hebrew  consonantal  text  the  names  are 

35  wijtten  in  precisely  the  same  way.  Eton  is  a  Zebulonite  clan  (Gen.  46,14; 
N'um.  26,26);  its  seat,  where  is  the  tomb  of  its  eponymous  ancestor,  bears  the 
same  name.     The  site  is  unknown. 

(4)  Cf.   10,4;    12,9.      The  saddle-asses   are   evidence   of  wealth   and    rank;   14 
r/\  S  ,  10  ;  2  Sam.  16,2;   13  ,  29. 

40  (5)   Pirathon   was   the  home   of  one   of  David's   heroes  (2  Sam.  23,30);  cf.   15 

also    I  Mace.  9 ,  50.      It   is   generally   identified   with  Fer'ata,  six   miles  \\'.S\\'   of 
Nabulus  (Shechem),  which  others   take   for  Ophrah. 

The  district  of  Shalim,   i  Sam.  9 , 4.      The  Received  Text  has :    in  the  land 
of  Ephraim  in  the  Mount  of  the  Amalekites. 


13  •  1  ~  '9  — «-j-H ;:Tt!:;->  (Tlotos  on  2"^5'6  -sB*iEM-e —  82 

(Uofce  on  C^aptcte  13-16 


'Z^t  §itoviia  of  ^ameon. 

These  chapters  contain  a  collection  of  stories  narrating  the  exploits  and 
adventures  of  the  Danite  hero,  Samson.  The  stories  are  connected  with  one 
5  another,  and  all  come  from  the  same  source  (J).  They  differ  from  the  other 
stories  in  the  Book  in  that  Samson  does  not,  like  Ehud,  Gideon,  or  Jephthah, 
deliver  his  people  from  their  enemies,  but  single-handed  and  in  his  own  quarrel 
makes  havoc  among  the  Philistines.  These  adventures  did  not  lend  themselves 
in  the  least  to  the  moralizing  bent  of  D,  who  has  given  them  only  the  briefest 

10  of  introductions  (13,1;  </.  15,20  and  16,31'');  that  he  preserved  them  at  all 
may  be  taken  as  evidence  that  they  were  too  great  favorites  to  be  suppressed. 
More  clearly  than  any  other  tales  in  the  Book  they  bear  the  marks  of  popular 
origin,  and  doubtless  had  been  repeated  by  generations  of  Israelite  story-tellers 
before   they   were  first  written  down.     It  is  likely  that  the  cycle  was  of  gradual 

15  growth  ;  it  may  be  surmised  that  c.  13  is  not  as  old  as  the  rest.  The  stories 
of  Samson  are  specimens  of  a  kind  of  literature  which  has  few  other  e.xamples 
irr  the  OT,  and  illustrate  a  side  of  old  Israelite  life  and  character  not  often 
represented  in  it. 

(lto(C0  on  Chapter  13. 

20  (i)  The   forty   years  probably   cover   the  judgeship  of  Samson  (15,20;   16.  13, 

3t)  and  that  of  Eli  (20  years  ;   i  Sam.  4,  18,  LXX). 

(2)  Zorali   was   one    of  the    settlements    of   the    Danites    in    the    southwest  2 
{ I  ,  34  f )  ;   from   which   the  greater  part   of  the   tribe  subsequently   migrated   to 
the   north  (cc.  17.  18).     It   is   the   modern  Qir'ah,  on  the  northern  side  of  M'ddy 

25  Qirdr,  opposite  'Ain  Slients  ( Beth-shemesh). —  The  child  of  a  long  unfruitful 
marriage  is  peculiarly  the  gift  of  God  {cf.  i  Sam.  1,2;  Luke  1,7);  this  is  a 
constant  trait  of  the  patriarchal  story  (Sarah,   Rebekah,  Rachel). 

(3)  On  the  Messenger  of  Jhvh,  see  note  on  6,11.  3 

(4)  Cf.  I  Sam.  I  ,  15.  Intoxicating  drinks  were  made,  not  only  from  the  4 
30  grape  (wine),  but  from  other  fruits,  such  as  dates,  and  from  grain  (beer),  per- 
haps also  from  honey  ( mead )  ;  distilled  liquors  were  unknown.  The  prohibi- 
tion to  eat  anything  unclean  probably  refers  to  certain  animal  kinds  and  to  the 
flesh  of  cattle  that  had  died  of  disease  or  been  accidentally  killed  (cf.  the  notes 
on   Lev.  7,24).      The  child,   who  is  to    be  consecrated  to   God,   must   be   kept 

35  from  defilement  even  in  his  mother's  womb. 

(5)  Religious    votary,    Heb.    nazir   (AV,    Nazirite).     In    the    law-books    the  5 
Nazirite    binds   himself   by   his   own  vow   for  a   certain   time,  at  the  termination 
of  which   he   shaves  off  his   hair  at  the   sanctuary.      While   the   vow  is  on   him 
he  has  to   abstain  from  all   the  products   of   the  vine ;    see  especially  Num.  6 ; 

40  cf.  Jud.  13,14;  Amos  2,11  f.  Samson  and  Samuel  (i  Sam.  i,ii)  are  devotees 
from  birth  and  for  life ;  but  this  is  represented  as  exceptional. 

(6)  The   Messenger  appeared  as  a  man;   his  words  proved  that  he  was  an  6 
inspired  man. 

(7)  <7:  Gen.  i8,3ff".;  Jud.  6,i7ff.  15 
45           (8)   Cf.  Gen.  32,29.     The   name   is   beyond    Manoah's   capacity   to   hear  and  iS 

understand;  cf.  Ps.  139,6. 

(9)   t7-  Exod.  IS,  II  ;  Ps.  77,14.  19 


83 


— »*e)g^5*-  (Jloke  on  3"*3«8  -^a*5^a*<^ 


13  ,  20-14 . 


(10)  The   similarity   of  the  scene   to   6,21    has    led    to   conformation   in   the  13,20 
latter   passage;   see   note   there.      The   altar   (in    Hebrew  the  staunhtcr-ptaic)   is 
the  rocA  (v.  19);  it  is  possible,  htnvever,  that  the  word  attar  has  been  substituted 
in   V.  20  by   a   later   hand    [cf.   i  Sam.  14,33-35).     The   rock   altar   here   figured 
5  is  from  the  neighborhood  of  ^'urah. 


Surface  of  the  altar,  with  hollows  for  blood 

or  libations. 

Place  for  the  priest   to  stand,  with  a  flat 

surface  at  his  left  hand  to  set  vessels  on. 

Platform  on  all  sides  of  the 

altar. 

Steps. 


Present  surface  of  the 
ground. 


ROCK    ALT.4R. 

15  (11)  See  note  on  6,22.     God  (Heb.  eloliim)  is   any   superhuman   being;    cf.  22 

I  Sam.  28,  13  (Samuel's  ghost). 

(12)  Namely,  the  birth  of  a  son.     Possibly  the   preceding  clause  is  a  gloss.   23 

(13)  Mahaneh-Daii   (Dan's    Camp)    was    west    of    Kirjath-jearim,    in    Judah  25 
(18,12),  not   betu'cen    Zorah   and  Es/itaot,   where   Samson's   tomb   was   (16,31). 

20  Perhaps  neither  of  these  conflicting  topographical  notices  is  original. 


(llo(ce  on  Chapters  u.15. 


The    narrative    is   homogeneous,    but   has   been   retouched   in   \arious   places 
by  later  editors  or  scribes,  —  it  is  not  always  possible  to  say  which.     Particularly 
in  c.  14,   a   misunderstanding  of  the  nature  of  Samson's  marriage  has  led   to  a 
25  series  of  changes  which  cause  not  a  little  confusion. 

( 1 )  Timnath   is   the   modern    Tihncli.    about    an    hour   west    of   ' Aiii    Slicms  14 ,  i 
(Beth-shemesh),    and  somewhat   farther   southwest   of  Qir'ah    (Zorah),  Samson's 
home. 

(2)  Cf.  Gen.  24,3  f.;  26,34  f;  28.1  f.  andSf.  3 
30           (3)  The  opprobrious  epithet   is  applied  almost  exclusively  to  the  Philistines 

{cf.  15,18;  I  Sam.  14,6;  17,26.36;  &c.);  the  peoples  of  Palestine  seem  gen- 
erally to  have  practiced  circumcision.  The  Philistines  were  of  a  different  race, 
invaders  from  the  north,  most  likely  from  Cyprus  or  southeastern  Asia  Minor. 
(4)  The  unusual   word  translated   grievance   seems  to  mean  a  prete.xt   for  4 

35  hostilities,  a  casus  belli;  see  2  Kings  5,  7. — It  is  not  said  that  Samson's  father 
refused  to  comply  with  his  son's  request ;  but  that  the  author  intended  to  convey 
the  idea  is  clear  from  what  follows,  and  it  has  been  with  some  plausibility 
conjectured  that  a  statement  to  this  effect  originally  stood  at  the  end  of  v.  4. 
Since  his  father  declines  to  negotiate  a  marriage  in  the  ordinary  way,  Samson, 

40  on  his  own  account,  contracts  a  marriage  of  a  different  kind,  in  which  the  wife, 
instead  of  coming  into  her  husband's  family,  remains  in  her  own  father's  house. 
A  later  writer,  either  misunderstanding  this  relation,  or  taking  offense  at  it, 
altered  the  text  of  the  verses  following,  making  it  appear  that  Samson's  parents 


14  .  5^ '9 


QtofcB  on  3"^5*6  -sss^^s*!-* — 


84 


yieklL-d,   and   tliat   an   urdinarv   marriage  was   contemplated.     The  changes  were  14 
not,   however,   sntti<ieiitl\-  thcirough  and   consistent   to   efface   tlie   original    repre- 
sentation. 

(5)  The  first  of  the  clianges  spoken  of  in  the  last  note.  5 

5  16)  Lit.,  leaped,  poimicd  upon  him,   indicating   the  suddenness  and -violence  6 

of  the  seizure;  see  v.  19;  15,14;  i  Sam.  10,  6.  10 ;  11,6;  i8,io;  16,13;  also 
(with  other  verbs)  Jud.  3,10;  6,34;  13,25.  The  spirit  of  Jinil  is  here  super- 
hum.in  strength. 

(7)  An  addition  consequent  upon  that  in  v.  5;  see  above,  notes  4  and  5. 
10  (8)  The  words  io  marry  her  are  also  an  erroneous  addition;    the  following  8 

narrative  shows  that  he  was  on  his  way  home  to  Zorah  v\hen  he  found  the 
honey  in  the  carcass  of  the  lion,  and  that  it  was  in  Zorah  he  met  his  parents. 

(9)  See  verse  16I)  (p.  28,  1.  32).  9 

(10)  His  father  is  not  the  least  absurd  of  the  editor's  alterations.  10 
15           (11)  The  only  possible  imderstanding  of  the  present  text  is,   that  when  the  n 

Philistines  saw  how  formidable  Samson  was  (or,  according  to  LXX,  because 
tli(\  were  afraid  of  him),  they  appointed  thirty  special  guards  to  see  that  he 
did  no  mischief  In  the  original  story,  on  the  contrary,  Samson  chose  thirty 
young  Philistines  as  his  companions  to  take  the  place  which  in  an  ordinary 
20  marriage  would  have  been  filled  by  his  own  young  kinsmen  and  friends. 

112)  A  caveat  against  the  unfair  means  they  employed  to  learn  the  secret.       12 

(13)  Their  vain   effort   to   solve   the   riddle   for   six   days   accords   well    with   14 
tlie   vehemence    of   their   speech    in   v.  15,    but   is   hard   to   reconcile   with    v.  17, 
according  to  which  Samson's  bride  teased   him  the  whole  week  to  tell  her  the 

25  riddle.  We  must  either  assume  a  certain  inconsistency  in  the  author's  repre- 
sentation or  regard  the  words  /or  six  days  and  011  the  seventh  day  ( vv.  14b.  15a) 
as  glosses. 

( 14 )  The  week's  festivities  preceded  the  consummation  of  the  marriage.  18 


V'  <*  "ill  Mi'  'IMiH'"<M'  * 


<ii-     «a..    «4,^  ,,.^°2*™"*'**!i!5^ 


KUl.NS    OF    .-iSHKELU.N. 


(15)  Ashkelon  is  tw^o  days'  journey  from  Timnath,  on  the  sea-coast.     It  has  19 
30  been  conjectured,  with   much  plausibility,  that  this  raid  is  the  afterthought  of  an 
editor  to  whom   it  seemed   unbecoming   that   Samson  should   run   away  without 
paying  the  wager.     It  has  no  consequences  in  the  following  story. 


$5  — »4«3#{sss- Qtotce  on  ^xii^ee -^miei-f^e—  14,20-16,2 

(16)  Angry  at  being  betrayed  by  his  comrades  and  his  bride,  Samson  rushed  14,20 
away,  without  consummating  the   marriage,   thus   inflicting   the   keenest   disgrace 
on  the  bride  and  her  family.     To  repair  this  disgrace,  the  bride's  father  gave  her 
on  the  spot  to  Samson's  groomsman,  and  the  interrupted  wedding  was  completed. 
5  (17)  The  season  of  the  year  is  particularly  noted  to  prepare  for  vv.  4  fl".  15,  i 

(18)  i.  e.,   I  cannot  be  blamed  for  retaliating  upon  the  Philistines.  3 

(19)  The  fox  is  a  solitary  animal,  but  the  jackal  is  gregarious;   hence  it  has  4 
been  often  surmised  that  Samson's  foxes  were  jackals.     It  would  not  be  remark- 
able if  the  same   Hebrew  word   included  both   foxes  and  jackals ;   but  there  is 

10  not  sufficient  evidence  that  this  was  actually  the  case. — Some  of  the  grain  was 
cut  and  in  the  shock ;  some  was  still  standing.  The  words  at  the  end  of  the 
verse  are  probably  a  later  addition  exaggerating  the  mischief  Samson  wrought. 

(20)  The  exact  meaning  of  the  phrase  rendered  /up  and  thigh  (lit.,   leg  on  8 
thigh)  is  not  known,  nor  does  the  context  explain  how  Samson  made  this  great 

15  slaughter  among  his  enemies. 

(21)  The  Etam  of  2  Chron.  11,6  and  Josephus  {Ant.\\\\,  7,  3 )  is  doubtless 
the  modern  'Ain  ' Atdn,  about  half  an  hour  south  of  Bethlehem ;  and  most 
scholars  assume  that  the  Cliff  Etam  in  our  story,  which  was  in  Judah  (vv.  9  ff. ), 
was    in    the   same   neighborhood.      Some  lay  the  scene  of  Jud.  15 , 9  ff.   in  the 

20  vicinity  of  ' Artfif,  much  nearer  Timnath  and  Zorah,  where  in  an  almost  vertical 
cliff  is  a  large  cave,  difficult  and  dangerous  of  access. 

(22)  Lehi;  see  vv.  14-19.      The  site  is  unknown.      The  name  was  probably  9 
given   it  on   account   of  some   resemblance   in  the  configuration  of  the  rocks  to 
the  under-jaw  of  an  animal  ;   see  note  26. 

25  (23)  Compare  chapter  16,  verses  9  and  12.  14 

(24)  The  only  weapon  within  reach  was  the  fresh  jawbone  of  an  ass,  heavy  15 

and  tough ;   an  old  and  weathered  bone  would   have  been  too  light  and   brittle 

for  such  a  use.     Compare  the  slaughter  of  the  Philistines   by  Shamgar  with   his 

ox-goad  (3,31),  and  by  Shammah  (2  Sam.  23,11  f. ). 
30  (25)  In   Hebrew:    Bileh'i   ha-hatnor  hcinior  himmartiiu,    lit.,  I  piled  them   in  16 

heaps,  or  perhaps,   I  flayed  them  elean.     In  the   translation  an  attempt  has  been 

made  to  imitate  tlie  pun. 

(26)  VV.  17-19  contain  a  series  of  popular  etymologies,  explaining  the  names  17 
of   certain   places   in   the   vicinity   of  Lehi:    Ratnath-tehi   ('Height   of   Lehi')    is 

35  the  place  where  Samson  threw  away  {ravtdh)  the  jawbone  (IZ'hi);  En-haqqore 
('Partridge  Spring')  commemorates  his  calling  (qara)  on  God  for  help;  3/aktish 
('The  Mortar,'  ef.  Zeph.  i,ii)  is  the  hollow  which  God  cleft,  and  from  which 
the  water  gushed  in  answer  to  his  prayer.  It  is  not  improbable  that  Samson's 
singular   weapon,   the  jawbone   of  an   ass,    is   in   like   manner   derived  from   the 

40  name  of  a  place,  Lehi  ha-hamov;  cf  Beer-lahai-roi,  Gen.  16,14,  and  the  Arabic 
Ldhy  jdmal  ( '  Camel's  jawbone  ' ). 

(27)  See    16,31.      It    has    been    conjectured    that   this   closing   formula   was  20 
inserted    here    by   an   editor   who   omitted   the   tragic   close   of   Samson's   career 
(c.  16),   which   was  subsequently   restored   by  another   hand.     With   the   formula 

45  itself  (/.  10 , 1  ff.;  12  ,  7  ff. 

(Itofce  on  16,1-3. 

The  short  story  of  this  exploit  has  no  connection  with  either  the  preceding 
or  the  following  narratives,  but  no  doubt  comes  from  the  same  source. 

(i)  Gaza,    the    most    southern    city    of    Palestine,    on    the    road    to    Egypt  16,  i 
50  through    the  desert     was   from  the   earliest  times  a   place   of  great  commercial 
and  military-  importance,  and  is  still  a  city  of  16,000  inhabitants. 

(2)  V.  3   hardly   permits    us   to   suppose   that   the   Philistines    were    lying    in  2 


l6,3-i4 


— »*e««se!-  QloUe  on  ^ui^ee  -:}B*86M-» — 


86 


wait  for  Samson  at  the  gate  of  the  city  ;  and  v.  2^  seems  to  imply  that,  confident  l6 
that   he   could   not  leave  the   city   after   the   gates  were  closed,  they  resohed  to 
do    nothing  till  the  following  morning  ;   the  second  clause  of  v.  2   is  therefore 
probably   a    gloss   exaggerating    the    precautions   they    took    and    the    wonderful 
5  character  of  his  escape. 

(3)   He  pulled   up  the  gate-posts,  with   the   two   leaves  of  the  gate   and  the  3 
bar  by  which  they  were  secured;   </.  v.  14. —  As  Hebron  is  not  less  than  twelve 
hours  distant  from   Gaza,  many  have  thought  that  a  hill  nearer  the  latter  must 
be  meant.     Latin  tradition   has  fi.\ed   on   El-Munf&r,  only  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
10  outside  the  walls  of  the  city,  and  not  even  in  the  direction  of  Hebron. 


Q,totC8  on  16,4-31. 

(i)  The  Valley  of  Sorek  is  probably  the  great  Wady  Qirar.  in  which 
Qir'ah  ( Zorah )  also  lies ;  the  ruins  of  Surik  are  three-quarters  of  an  hour  west 
of  Qtfah. 

15  (2)  They  imagined  that  there  was  some  secret  about  his  strength,  which,  if 

they  could  come  by  it,  would  enable  them  to  get  the  better  of  him. 

(3)  The  bowstrings  were  doubtless  made  from  the  intestines  of  animals. 
Green  gut,  not  yet  dried,  would  not  so  readily  fray  or  split,  and  could  be 
more  securely  knotted.     Seven  is  a  charmed  number. 

20  {4)   Cf.  V.  12  and  15,  14.     The  men  who  were  concealed  in  the  inner  apart- 

ment did  not  disclose  themselves,  but  waited  to  see  the  result  of  the  e.\periment. 

(5)  New  ropes,  as  in  15,  13. 

(6)  The  Hebrew  text  is  defective;  but  the  Greek  Versions  and  the  parallel 
places    enable    us    to    restore    it.      The    loom   was   a   simple   upright   frame   the 


14 


EGYPTIAN    LOOM. 


25  posts  of  which  were  planted  in  the  eartli. 

Seated  on  the  ground  before  the  loom  with  Samson's  head  in  her  lap, 
Delilah  passed  the  long  strands  of  his  hair  in  and  out  of  the  standing  warp 
with  her  fingers,  and  beat  it  up  to  a  firm  texture  with  a  pointed  pin  of  wood. 
He  was  thus  most  securely  fastened  in  a  prostrate  position.  But  he  sprang 
30  to  his  feet,  pulling  the  posts  of  the  loom  out  of  the  ground  by  the  hair  of  his 
head. 

The  Egyptian   loom   shown    in    the  cut,  primitive  as  it  appears,   represents  a 
considerable  advance  upon  this  method  of  weaving. 


Sy  —s^i^mf^  (S^oUe  on  2^^i(B  <!^^sH-<—  16,16-28 

(7)  Compare  chapter  14,   verse  17.  (8)  See  chapter  13,  verse  5.       16,16.17 

(9)  See    I  Sam.  18.12;  28,15.      Samson's    superhuman    strength    was   given  20 
him  by  the  Spirit  of  Jhvh  (13,25;  see  note  on  14,6),  which  now  left  liim. 

(10)  Grinding  at  the  hand-mill   was    hard    and   menial    labor.      Among  the  21 
5  Romans,  slaves  were  often  punished  by  being  set  to  work  at  the  mill ;  and  under 

tlie  Theodosian  Code  the  same  penalty  was  inflicted  upon  freemen  for  certain 
misdemeanors. 

(11)  Samson's  strength  is  in  his  sacred  locks;   before  he  can  perform  such  22 
a  feat  as  is  narrated  in  vv.  28-30  they  must  grow  again. 

10  (12)  Dagon  was  the  chief  deity  of  the  Philistines;  besides  the  temple  at  Gaza  23 

he  had  one  at  Ashdod  (i  Sam.  5,1  AT. ;  i  Mace.  10,84;  iii4)i  a"d  doubtless  in 
the  other  cities  of  the  Pentapolis.  Several  places  bearing  the  name  Beth-dagon 
were  also  ancient  seats  of  his  worship,  which  was  wide-spread  in  Palestine 
before   the   Philistine   invasion  ;    c/.  also   Dagan-ta/ca/a,  the    name   of    a   man,  in 

15  the  Amarna  dispatches.  Of  the  character  of  the  god  and  his  worship  we 
know  no  more  than  may  be  gathered  from  the  passage  before  us  and 
1  Sam.  5 ,  I  ff.  That  Dagon  was  represented  in  the  form  of  a  fish,  or  half 
man  half  fish,  as  medieval  Jewish  commentators  aver,  rests  only  upon  a  possible 
etymology   (Hebrew  dag  'fish').       If,    as  seems  probable,    Dagon  is  the  same 

20  as  the  Babylonian  god  Dagan,  this  etymology  must  be  given  up  as  false.  Older 
writers  saw  in  the  name  the  Hebrew  and  Phoenician  dagan  ( '  grain ' ),  and  make 
Dagon  a  god  of  agriculture ;  which  is  probably  no  more  correct  than  the  other 
etymology. 

(13)  See  chapter  15,  verses  4  fif.,  14  ff.  24 

25  (14)  When  Samson  has  sufficiently  amused  them,  perhaps  by  harmless  feats  27-30 

of  strength,  he  is  left  to  rest.  He  asks  the  attendant  who  leads  him  about,  to 
let  him  lean  against  the  columns  which  support  the  roof.  By  a  Herculean  effort 
he  overthrows  these  columns,  and  brings  down  the  whole  edifice  in  ruins,  burying 
in   its   fall   the   multitude  who   were   assembled  to   witness   his   performance,  and 

30  himself  perishing  with  them.  We  are,  of  course,  not  to  think  of  the  temple 
proper,  but  of  a  building  for  the  use  of  the  worshipers,  probably  a  hall  for 
sacrificial  feasts.  The  te.xt  gives  ground  for  the  conjecture  that  the  three 
thousand  men  and  women  on  the  roof  are  a  later  addition  to  the  story.  Much 
ingenuity  has  been   expended   in  the  endeavor  to  explain  the  architectural  con- 

35  struction  of  this  building;   see  particularly  Sir  Christopher  Wren,   Parcutalia. 

P-  359- 

(15)  The  destruction  of  all  these  Philistines  would  be  but  partial   retaliation.   28 


(Uofee  on  C^apkre  17. IS. 

The  first  of  the  two  stories  supplementary  to  the  Book  of  Judges ;  see  p.  46, 
40  11.  30  ft'.  More  than  one  hand  has  evidently  been  at  work  upon  the  narrative. 
The  origin  of  Micah's  idol  (or  idols),  the  way  in  which  he  got  his  priest,  the 
sending  out  and  return  of  the  Danite  spies,  the  robbery  of  Micah's  temple,  the 
duration  of  the  sanctuary  at  Dan,  are  all  related  with  a  great  deal  of  unnecessary 
and  confusing  re]5etition ;  in  some  places  positive  contradictions  occur.  It  is 
45  peculiarly  difficult  to  decide  whether  these  phenomena  are  to  be  ascribed  to 
interpolations  and  glosses,  or  to  the  combination  of  two  parallel  versions  of  the 
story.      The    latter   hypothesis   appears,    on   the   whole,    the   more   probable.      In 


17,1-4  —^•tis^&Si- (^atiB  on  ^w^S*!" -'S^^'^**^  SS 

the  text  the  main,  and  apparently  older,  strand  of  the  narrative  is  ascribed  to 
J,  chierty  on  account  of  its  resemblance  in  spirit  and  style  to  the  stories  of 
Samson,  the  first  version  of  the  history  of  Gideon,  and  other  parts  of  the  Book 
which  are  probably  derived  from  that  source ;  the  other  to  E,  the  second  chief 
5  source  of  the  Book  of  Judges.  The  analysis  would  not  be  materially  different 
if  the  latter  should  be  attributed  to  a  later  hand,   or  to  editorial  interpolation. 

The  first  version  ran  substantially  as  follows :  A  man  of  Mount  Ephraim 
owned  a  temple  containing  an  Ephod  and  Tcrapliim,  and  consecrated  one  of 
his  sons   as   priest   (17,1.5).     Afterwards   a  wandering   Levite   from   Bethlehem 

10  in  Judah  came  that  way  in  search  of  employment,  and  was  hired  by  Micah, 
who  installed  him  in  the  place  of  his  son  (vv.  S-io.  ii*.  12''.  13).  The  Danites, 
who  had  as  yet  found  no  place  to  settle,  sent  out  an  exploring  party  (18,1.2^ 
in  part).  They  came  to  Micah's  home  and  lodged  there  (v.  2'>).  Falling  in  with 
his  priest,  they  learned  of  him   his  relation  to  Micah,  and   had  him  consult  the 

15  oracle  for  them,  and  received  a  favorable  response  (v.  3^  in  part,  vw  4''.  5. 6). 
Continuing  their  journey,  they  came  to  Laish  (v.  7  in  part);  and  returning, 
urged  their  clansmen  to  march  against  it,  assuring  them  that  it  would  be  an 
easy  conquest  (vv.  8- 10  in  part).  Six  hundred  fighting  men  of  the  tribe,  with 
their   families,    set  out   on   the   expedition   (v.  11  in  part,  vv.  12.13).     Arrived  at 

20  Micah's  village,  the  spies  informed  them  that  it  contained  an  Ephod  and 
Teraphim  (v.  14).  The  armed  band  halted  at  the  gate,  while  the  five  spies  went 
to  the  house  to  take  the  idols  (vv.  16.  iS").  The  priest  challenged  them,  but 
was  speedily  persuaded  to  join  the  party  and  become  the  priest  of  the  tribe 
(v.  lyb  in  part,  vv.  iSl'.ig).      He  took  the  images;    they  joined   the  main   body, 

25  and  marched  away.  Micah  and  the  villagers  pursued  tlieni.  but  were  rudely 
repulsed  (vv.  20-26).  The  Danites  took  Laish,  and  set  up  .Micah's  idols  in 
their  sanctuary  (vv.  27-29.1301). 

Tliis  story  is,  without  question,  very  old.  It  relates  the  origin  of  the  image 
in   the   famous   sanctuary  of  Dan   without   any  trace   of  religious   antipathy,   and 

30  speaks  of  the  Ephod  with  as  little  prejudice  as  the  original  author  in  c.  8  speaks 
of  that  set  up  by  Gideon  at  Ophrah.  The  writer  evidently  enjoys  telling  of  the 
stroke  by  which  the  Danites  got  possession  of  it,  and  of  the  owner's  discom- 
fiture. The  [licture  which  he  gives  of  the  social  and  religious  state  of  the  times 
is  of  the  highest  value.     The   rest  of  the  chapter  has  at  least  no  affinity  to  the 

35  post-Exilic  additions  to  cc.  19- 21;  there  is  nothing  to  show  that  it  is  later  than 
other  parts  of  the  Book  which  are  attributed  to  E. 

(i)  The   name,   Micah,  and   the  .scene   of  the  story   seem  to   be  common  to  17,1 
both  versions. 

(2)  Dreading   his   mother's   curse  and    the    anger   of  God   for  the   sacrilege  2-4 

40  committed  in  appropriating  a  consecrated  thing,  he  makes  restitution  of  the 
stolen  silver.  There  seems  to  be  some  derangement  of  the  text ;  the  words, 
/  sacredly  consecrate  the  silver,  &c.  (v.  ^),  seem  to  be  necessary  after  and 
also  saidst  in  v.  2 ;  and  v.  3->  is  premature  before  v.  4*'>.  The  restoration  pro- 
posed in  the  translation  is  the  simplest  remedy  for  all  these  difficulties. 

45  (3)  The  mother  had  added  to  the  curse  a  dedication  which  made  the  silver  3 

sacrosanct,  so  that  the  thief  incurred   the  perils  of  sacrilege  by  keeping  it. 

(4)  The   curse   launched   at   the  head   of  the   thief  cannot  be  unsaid,  but  it  2 
may  be  neutralized  by  a  blessing;   see  2  Sam.  21,3;   Exod.  12,32.     Curses  and 
blessings   were   not   to   the   old   Israelites  mere  wishes  or  prayers  ;   the  word  has 

50  a  magical  potency,  and  is  a  real  cause  of  good  or  evil. 

(5)  The  first   word   (pesel)   properly  denotes  a  carved   wooden   idol,  but  is  4 
not   infrequently   emjiloyed   generically  for  idol,  without   regard   to   the    material 
(see   Is.  40,  19;   44,  lo;  Jer.  10,  14,  &c.);    the  second  word  (inassekdh)  denotes 


Sg  — »*^e@»- (Jlotcs  on  ^ui^ce  ■m^^st'^'i—  17,5-18,1 

usually  an  idol  of  precious  metal,  cast  in  a  mold.     In  the  present  passage   it   is  17 
highly   improbable   that  the  autlior  meant  that   Micah   had  /wo  images,  one  of 
wood,  and   one  of  metal;  see  also   i8,3of.      More  likely  he  spoke  throughout 
only   of  a  pcsel;    some   one   who   observed   that    the    idol    was    of    metal    then 
5  glossed  it  by  the  more  exact  term,  massekah. 

Various  explanations  have  been  given  of  the  fact  that  only  two  hundred 
shekels  of  the  silver  (/.  c.  about  Sf  pounds  weight)  were  used  in  making  the 
idol ;  the  truth  seems  to  be  that  the  consecration  should  not  be  understood  as 
a   dedication   of  the  whole   sum   to  God,  but   of  an   indefinite   part   of  it,  which 

10  made  the  whole  inviolable. 

(5)  Lit.  a  god-liousc  \  a   shrine  in   which    the   idol   stood.     Such   a   building  5 
was  necessary  only  where  there  was  an  image,  or  other  sacred  object,  like  the 
Ark  of  Jhvh,  to   keep  in  it.     The  older  and  commoner  representatives   of  the 
deity,  the  sacred  post  {asherdh,  see  note  on  6,25)  or  pillar  (inaffebcih,  9,6;  cf. 

15  2,2),  stood   beside  the  altar  on  the  high-place  under  the  open  sky. 

(7)  The  Ep/wd,  like  that  which  Gideon  made  of  seventeen  hundred  shekels 
of  gold  and  set  up  at  Ophrah,  where  it  was  worshiped  by  the  Israelites  (8,27), 
was  clearly  an  idol  (see  18,24);  but  of  what  form  we  do  not  know;  see  also 
I  Sam.  21  ,  9.     The   Ephod  was  employed   by  the   priest  in  consulting  the  oracle 

20  of  Jhvh  ;  see  i  Sam.  14,  18  (LXX;  </  3) ;  23 ,  6 .  9  ;  30 ,  7.  To  carry  the  Epiiod 
before  Jhvh  is  the  prerogative  of  the  priesthood  (i  Sam.  2,28;  22,  iS).  The 
Teraphiin,  which  are  coupled  with  the  Ephod  in  Hos.  3,4  also,  were  idols  (see 
Gen.  31,19;  r/.  30 ;  35,2.4;  i  Sam.  19,  13  -  16),  and  were  used  in  divining 
(2  Kings  23,  24;  Ezek.  21,21;  Zech.  10,2).     It  has  been  surmised,  on  insufficient 

25  grounds,  that  they  were  household  gods,  or  images  of  the  ancestors. 

(8)  This   verse   is  an   editorial   note   explaining  how  such  irregularities  were  6 
possible;  r/".  21 ,  25  ;  also  18  ,  i ;  19,1. 

(9)  The   young   Levite    of   Judah     residing   in    Micah 's    neighborhood,    who  7 
is   to   him   as   one   of  his   own    sons,    and   becoines    his    priest    (vv.  7.nb.i2a), 

30  is  the  counterpart  of  the  Levite  from  Bethlehem  who  comes  in  his  wanderings 
to  Micah's  home,  and  is  hired  by  him  as  his  priest.  The  words  from 
Bethlehem  in  Judah  were  probably  inserted  by  the  editor  from  the  premises 
of  v.  8  in  the  parallel  narrative.  Levite  must  here  denote  his  calling,  not  his 
extraction  ;   he   was   a  professional   priest,  though   of  the  clan  of  Judah,  just  as 

35  the  Ephraimite  Samuel  was  brought  up  as  a  priest  at  Shiloh.  The  relation 
of  the  Levite  priests  to  the  old  tribe  of  Levi  (Gen.  34,25-31;  49,5-7)  is 
obscure.  Probably  the  remnants  of  that  broken  tribe,  like  those  of  Simeon, 
attached  themselves  to  Judah ;  the  Levites  in  the  Book  of  Judges  are  all  in 
some   way  connected  with  Judah. 

40  (10)  In  the  original  context  this  Levite  must  have  been  introduced  in  some  8 

way  ;  perhaps  simply,  Now  there  was  a  Levite  from  Bethlehem  in  Judah. 

(11)  Father  is    a    title    of   respect    given    to    prophets,    priests,    the    king's  10 
ministers,    and    others ;    it    does    not    necessarily    imply    that    the    Levite    was 
advanced   in   years. — The   last   words   of  the  verse  may  be  an  accidental  error, 

45  corrected  by  the  scribe  in  the  following  verse,  or  a  fragment  of  the  other  source. 

(12)  This   first   clause   would   also   be   entirely  in   place  in  the  other  version  12 
of  tlie  story  after  v.  ii=>. 

(13)  Micah   is   elated   that   he   has   now   a   trained   priest   to   take   charge  of  13 
his  shrine   and   oracle.      His   son,    who   had   first   filled   the  place,    had  not   the 

50  same  skill. 

(14)  This  first  half-verse  is  an  editorial  comment  on  the  preceding  chapter;  18,1 
see  17,  6. 

(15)  The  Danites  first  tried  to  establish  themselves  on  the  southwest  of 
Ephraim,    but    were    crowded    back  by   the   native   population    (1,34)    into  the 


I8,2-II 


— >*giJf%Ss.  (JUtco  on  ^ubgcB  •igss^E**.^^ — 


90 


little  district  about  Zorah  and  Eshtaol.     They   now  resolved  to  tr>'  their   fortune  18 
in  another  quarter. 

(16)  The  duplication  in  this   and   the  following  verses  is   obvious,   but   the  2 
literary  analysis  has  only  slight  clues  to  work  with,   and   its   results  are  corres- 

5  pondingly  uncertain. 

(17)  The  redundancy  in   both   question  and  answer  points  to  the  union  of  3.4 
closely  similar  accounts. —  In  what  way  the  Danites  recognized  the  young  Levite 

is  not  e.xplained ;  probably  it  did  not  occur  to  the  writer  that  the  question 
could  be  asked. 

10  (i,S)  The  consultation  of  the  oracle  may  have  been  related  in  both  accounts-,  5.6 

vv.  5 .  6,  however,  appear  to  be  homogeneous,  and  to  be  derived  from  the  older 
narrative.  The  response  was  probably  obtained  by  casting  lots  in  some  way ; 
see  especially  i  Sam.  14 ,  40  ff.  (LXX). 

(19)  The  phrase  living  without  fear,  &c.,  does  not  grammatically  agree  with  7 

15  the  foregoing  noun  {the  people)  ;  in  its  original  context  it  must  have  been 
preceded  by  some  such  words  as,  they  found  the  city,  or  Laish. —  In  Phoenician 
fashion,  an  un warlike  trading  people. —  The  words  rendered  in  RV  for  there 
was  none  in  the  land,  possessing  authority,  who  might  put  thcin  to  shame  in 
anything,  are  corrupt;   the  te.xt  must  be  emended  in  conformity  to  v.  10. — For 

20  they  had  nothing  to  do  with  any  one  else  (Heb.  addm)  most  Greek  manuscripts 
have,  with  Syria  (Heb.  Aram),  which  would  suit  the  conte.xt  equally  well;  the 
difference  in  the  Hebrew  alphabet  is  very  slight  (»'  =  n,  d='\)  ;  cf  p.  70,  1.  49. 


QARVET    EL-INEE. 

(20)  In    verses    8-10    the    difficulty    of    separating    the    sources    is    much  8- 10 
increased   by   the  disorder    of   the    te.xt  ;    a    completely    satisfactory    restoration 

25  and  analysis  are  hardly  possible.  The  question  in  v.  Sb  seems  to  belong  to 
tlie  same  source  with  v.  2a  {bidding  them:  Go,  examine  the  land).  At  the 
end  of  the  verse  the  verb  is  lacking ;  the  simplest  emendation  is,  IVhat  word 
do  ye  bring  back?  {cf.  2  Sam.  24,  13;  Num.  13,26).  Upon  this  the  clauses 
assigned    in   the   text   to   E   would    naturally   follow.      At   the   beginning   of  v.  9 

30  some  recensions  of  the  Greek  Bible  have  a  long  addition:  We  entered  the  land 
and  went  about  in  it  as  far  as  Laish ;  and  we  found  the  people  zcho  inhabit  it 
living  -without  fear  after  the  Pha'nician  fashion,  and  they  are  remote  from  Sidon 
and  have  nothing  to  do  with  Syria.  But  arise .'  let  us  anarch  against  them,  &c. 
Part  of  this  may,  perhaps,  be  genuine. 

35  (21)  The   clan   of    the    Danites    which    migrated    from    Zorah    and    Eshtaol  11 

mustered  six  hundred  fighting  men,  who  seem  to  have  been  the  major  portion 
of  the  tribe,  since  they  gave  the  tribal  name  to  their  new  settlement.  But, 
as  the  story  of  Samson  shows,  some  of  the  tribe  remained  in  their  old  seats. 


91 


(llo(«8  on  ^ujigee  - 


i8,  12-26 


(22)  Kirjath-jearim    (i  Sam.  6,21;    7,  i  f. )    lay  nine    or  ten    miles   west  of  18,12 
Jerusalem,  on   the   road  to  Lydda.     It  has  been  conjecturally  identified  with  the 
modern  Qaryet  et-'Iiieb  (Abu  Ghdsh),  see  p.  90;  by  others  with  Khirbet  ' Erma. 
The   topographical   gloss   at  the   end   of   the    verse   is  probably   correct,  though 
5  at  variance  with  that  in  13 ,  25. 

{23)  The  verse  is  a  parallel  to  vv.  13  f,  just  as  v.  3  is  to  v.  2i'.  15 

(24)  The   narrative   is   much    confused;    probably    not    so    much    from    the  16- iS 
union    of   different    sources    as    through    glosses    and  accidental   corruption.     J 
seems   to   have   related   simply   and   briefly    that    the    six    hundred    armed    men 

10  halted  at  the  gate  of  the  village  while  the  five  spies  went  up  to  Micah's  house, 
and  seized  his  idols.  V.  16,  which  e.xhibits  some  grammatical  irregularities, 
seems  to  be  an  awkward  redactional  doublet  to  the  end  of  v.  17;  v.  17,  with 
the  exception  of  the  last  words,  is  of  the  same  character.  At  the  close  of  v. 
17   the  text  -is  not   intact ;   we  have  either  to  supply  the  predicate,  stood  at  the 

15  gate,  as  in  v.  16  {cf.  v.  17,  the  priest  -was  standing  at  the  gate),  or  make  the 
six  hundred  men  the  subject  of  v.  18,  and  suppose  that  the  whole  armed  band 
marched  to  Micah's  house.  The  former  is  the  more  probable  alternative.  It 
seems  from  v.  22^  that  the  villagers  were  in  the  fields,  so  that  the  Danites 
had  got  some  distance  away  before  Micah's  neighbors  could  be  collected  for  the 

20  pursuit. 


(25)  The  priest  was  not  at  the  entrance  of  the  village,  but  at  the  sanctuary. 
He  was  easily  persuaded  to  cast  in  his  lot  with  them,  and  himself  carried  off 
his  master's  image  and  oracle  (v.  20). 

(25)  \'erses  19-26  are  throughout  by  one  hand.  The  story  is  admirably 
25  told ;  the  author's  sympathy  is  evidently  with  the  bold  robbers  rather  than  with 
their  victim. 


19-26 


18,25-31  — >*^6s:*- (Tlofco  on  3"'3«s  •*®''^s**-*^  92 

(27)  See  2  Samuel,  chapter  17,  verse  8.  18,25 

(28)  Laish,    or    Leshem    (Josh.   19,47),    under   its    later    name,    Dan,    often  27 
mentioned   in  the  OT  as   the  northern   limit  of  the   land  of  Israel,  was  not  far 
from   the  Lebanon  and  the  sources  of  the  Jordan.     The    name    seems    to    be 

5  preserved  in  the  modern  Tel  cl-Qddi,  i.  e.  'Hill  of  the  Judge'  (gdd'i,  'judge,' 
is  the  Arabic  equivalent  of  the  Hebrew  Dan),  about  an  hour  distant  from 
Bdnids  (Paneas,  Csesarea  Philippi).  On  the  summit  of  the  hill  is  now  the  tomb 
of  a  Moslem  saint,  under  a  magnificent  oak  tree,  as  shown  in  the  engraving 
on  p.  91.     On  the  west  side  of  the  hill  is  a  great  basin  (see  full  page  illustration 

:o  facing  p.  34).  It  is  fed  by  one  of  the  largest  springs  in  the  world,  and  is  looked 
upon  by  the  people  as  the  true  source  of  the  Jordan. 

Bcth-rehob  was  in  the  time  of  David  a  petty  Aramean  kingdom  (i  Sam. 
14,47,  LXX  ;  2  Sam.  io,6.8),  but  its  exact  situation  is  not  known.  The  note 
1)11  the  site  of  Laish  may  be  a  gloss. 

15  (29)  These   words   are  also  probably  a  gloss.     The  last  clause  of  the  verse  29 

is  of  the  same  origin. 

(30)  VV.  30.  31    are   parallel.     Jonathan   is   probably   not   the   young  Judean  30 
Levite    of    17,7,    but    the    man    of    17,8.      It    is    possible    that    his    pedigree 
originally  stood   before   the  latter  verse,  rather  than  where  it  now  stands. —  For 

20  the  idol  (Heb.  pcscl),  it  may  be  conjectured  that  the  author  wrote,  the  Ephod. 

(31)  Jonathan,  the  son  of  Gershom,  the  son  of  Moses.  The  later  Jews,  by 
inserting  an  n  above  the  line  in  the  last  name  {n^sh),  indicated  their  opinion 
that  this  idolatrous  priest  might  better  have  been  a  descendant  of  Manasseh, 
the   idolatrous   king   of  Judah. —  Our  verse  proves  that  the  priests   of    Dan,    in 

25  the  S'h  century,  traced  their  lineage  to  Moses,  as  other  priestly  families  in 
Israel  did  (see  especially  Deut.  33,8). 

(32)  The  depopulation  of  the  land  may  be  the  deportation  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Northern  Galilee  by  Tiglath-pileser  in  734  n.c,  or  the  overthrow  of  the 
Kingdom   of  Israel   by  Sargon   in   721.     It  is   difficult  to   believe,   however,  that 

30  the  whole  verse  is  of  so  late  a  date,  and  we  are  tempted  to  conjecture  that 
the  author  wrote,  unto  this  day,  which  a  later  editor  changed  to  the  present 
te.xt. 

(33)  When    the    house    of    God    at    Shiloh    (i    Sam.   1,7.24;     3,15)    was  31 
destroyed   is   not   certainly  known.      It  is  generally   believed    to   have   fallen    in 

35  the  Philistine  wars;  but  Jeremiah's  references  to  the  fate  of  Shiloh  (7,12.14) 
might  suggest  a  more  recent  date.     Cf.  the  note  on  21,19. 

(Ttofee  on  t^a.'^Uxt,  19-21. 

In  this  story  of  the  outrage  at  Gibeah  and  the  sanguinary  vengeance  of  Israel 
upon  the  tribe  of  Benjamin  two  elements  are  readily  recognized ;  one  of  which 

40  is  closely  akin  to  the  older  narrative  in  cc.  17.18,  the  other  strikingly  resembles 
the  latest  stratum  of  the  so-called  Priestly  Narrative  (?)  in  the  Hexateuch  (see 
Notes  on  Leviticus,  p.  56,  1.  26;  p.  58,  1.  7),  and  the  Book  of  Chronicles.  To 
the  former  belong  c.  19  almost  entirely,  21,15-23  in  the  main,  and  the 
original   account   of   the   battle   and    its   consequences   in   20 ,  29 .  36!=  - 44   (in   the 

45  main). 47;  to  the  latter,  most  of  20.21,1-14.  The  secondary  element  seems 
to  be  not  an  originally  distinct  narrative  combined  with  the  older  version  by 
a  redactor,  but  in  part  a  supplement  to  the  original  account  of  the  war,  in  part 
a  substitute  for  it,  in  which  a  contemporary  of  the  Chronicler  illustrates  the  way 
in   which   such   a  crime  should    have   been  — and    therefore   must    have    been  — 

50  punished  by  the  Congregation.  The  dependence  of  this  Midrash  upon  the  older 
storv  is  not  questioned,  even  by  those  who  think  that  it  once  existed  separately. 
It  is   possible  that  the  older  story  was  itself  composite;    19,5-15.  i"  particular, 


93  — «*e«^es- (Jlotco  on  ^uSges -JiSSjeew.^-  19,1-30 

give  ground  for  this  opinion ;  but  the  attempts  at  analysis  have  not  been  hitherto 
very  successful. 

(i)  See  17,6;  18, 1;  19,1;   21,25.  19,' 

(2)  The   remote   part   of  Mount   Ephraim   is   probably  tlie  northern   i)art ;   it 
5  is  noteworthy  that  neither  here  nor  in  17.  18  is  a  town  named. 

(3)  See  Gen.  34,3;  and  especially  Hos.  2,14.  3 

(4)  Concubinage   was  a   kind   of  marriage;   the   girl's   father  was  the  man's  4 
father-in-law   (see  also  vv.  5.9).     The   relation  was  perfectly  legitimate,   whether 
the  concubine  was  a  slave  or  a  free  woman ;  and  children  born  of  such  a  union 

10  had  a  right  of  inheritance  (Gen.  21,  11). 

(5)  In  vv.  5-9  the   Levite   is   repeatedly  on   the   point  of  setting  out,   but  is  5-9 
persuaded  to  postpone  his  departure.     The  primary  narrative  seems  to  be  found 

in  vv.  4-6^.8^3.9  (in  part).  The  rest  may  be  attributed  to  a  second  source,  as 
has  been  done  above,  or  to  the  amplifying  hand  of  an  editor.  If  the  former 
15  alternative  be  adopted,  we  should  understand  that  in  the  second  version  the 
man  stayed  but  one  night  at  Bethlehem  ;  the  fusion  of  the  two  accounts  has 
given  the  editor  his  fifth  day. 

(6)  In  v.  9  the   Hebrew  text  is   seriously  corrupt;    the   restoration  adopted  9 
follows   the  oldest  Greek  Version.     In  view  of  the  unusual  expression,  the  last 

20  words  are  probably  to  be  regarded  as  a  gloss. 

(7)  The  repetitions  and  redundancies  continue,  and  raise  the  same  questions  10-15 
as  in  vv.  5-9.     The  analysis  in  the  translation  is  merely  tentative. 

(8)  Jerusalem   is   here  called  Jehus  with   reference  to  its  non-Israelite  popu-  10 
lation   (v.  12);   see    also    Josh.  15,8;   18,16.28;   i  Chron.  11, 4  f      There    is    no 

25  evidence  that  Jebus  was  the  older  name  of  Jerusalem,  as  is  often  asserted ;  the 
latter  name  is  found  not  only  in  the  oldest  texts  in  the  OT  (see  Jud.  1,7.21; 
Josh.  15,63;  2  Sam.  5,6),  but  also  in  the  Amarna  tablets  (ca.  1400  b.  c. ).  The 
road  from  Bethlehem  north  would  lead  them,  in  about  an  hour  and  a  half  past 
Jerusalem  on  the  west. — At  the  end  of  the  verse  some  Greek  manuscripts  add, 

30  for  the  sake  of  completeness,  and  his  scrvaiit.  It  is  possible  that  the  whole 
clause  is  a  gloss  from  v.  3. 

(9)  The  refusal  to  spend  the  night  in  a  city  of  strangers  puts  in  a  stronger  12 
light  the  base  violation  of  the  rights  of  hospitality  by  the  Israelites  of  Gibeah. 

(10)  Ramah  is  the  modern   cr-Ram,  two  hours  north  of  Jerusalem ;    Gibeah   13 
35  is  located  by  Robinson  and  others  at  Tel  el-Ful,  about  half-way  between  Jeru- 
salem and  er-Ram.     Gibeah  of  Benjamin  (see  p.  94;  cf.  i  Sam.  13,2.15;  14,16) 

is  probably  the  same  which,  as  the  home  of  Saul,  is  called  Gibeah  of  Saul 
( I  Sam.  11,4;  Is.  10  ,  29,  &c. ) ;  and  is  to  be  distinguished  from  Geba  ( Isaiah,  /.  c). 

(11)  The  first  evidence  of  the  churlishness  of  the  inhabitants;  contrast  Gen.   15 
40  24.29-31;  18,2  ff.;   19,1-3. 

(12)  In   the   author's   time    the   explanation   that    the   inhabitants   of    Gibeah  16 
were    Benjamites   cannot   have  been   necessary ;    probably  the  note  that  the  one 
good  man  in  the  town  was  a  stranger  is  also  a  later  addition. 

(13)  Cf.  Gen.  24,25.32.— (14)  Cf.  Gen.  19,2  f.— (15)  Cf.  Gen.  24,32;   18,4.     19-21 
45           (16)  V\'.    22-24    have   a   striking   resemblance  to   Gen.  19,4-8;    it    is    not  22-24 

unlikely  tliat  the  similarity  of  the  situation  has  led  to  some  conformation  of 
the  story  in  Judges  to  that  of  Lot.  V.  24,  in  particular,  is,  not  without  reason, 
thought  to  be  an  interpolation  from  Gen.  19,8. 

(17)  The  Levite's  conduct  in   exposing   the   woman   to   save   himself  strikes  25 
50  us   as  dastardly;   but  the  author  evidently  did   not  so  regard  it;   cf.  Gen.  19,8; 

12,  10  IT.;   20.  26. 

(18)  The  words  used  are  tlie  proper  terms  for  cutting  up  the  carcass  of  an  29 
animal;  see  i  Sam.  11,7;  i  Kings  18,23.33;  Lev.  1,6;  &c. 

(19)  The  text  is  restored  in  conformity  with  the  oldest  Greek  Version.  30 


20  ,  l-io 


-^-t-^eSSe-  (ttoti'6   on  3"*5'6  -«J*S4Ea*<^ 


94 


(20)  The  characteristics  of   the  secondary  element  in  the   narrative  appear  20,1 
very  clearly  in  vv.  1.2,  in  the  fondness  for  prodigious  numbers,  and  in  a  habitual 
representation  of  Israel  as  a   Congregation  instead  of  a  people  or  a  nation,  an 
ecclesiastical   body  acting  as  by  a  common  impulse  under  the  leadership  of  its 

5  Elders.  In  all  these  traits  we  recognize  the  product  of  an  age  when  the  national 
life  of  Israel  was  a  thing  of  the  remote  past,  and  could  only  be  imagined  under 
the  likeness  of  a  Church.  No  greater  contrast  to  the  old  stories  of  the  Judges 
could  be  conceived. — The  last  words  of  v.  i  belong  to  the  older  source,  but 
hardly  followed  immediately  the  first  clause.  Mizpah  in  Benjamin  was  an  ancient 
10  holy  place;  see  i  Sam.  7,50". ;  io,i7ff.;  Jer.  40,6fr. ;  i  Mace.  3  ,  44  fl".  It  is 
generally  believed  to  be  the  modem  Nebi  Samw'il,  about  two  hours  north  of 
Jerusalem,  and  about  two  miles  from  Tel  el-Ful  (Gibeah;  see  note  10). 

(21)  The  assembly   of  the   people  of  God,    the    people    assembled    in    their  2 
religious  capacity;  i  Sam.  17,47;  i  Kings  8  ,  14.  55  .  65  ;  frequent  in  P. 

15  (22)  The   numbers  are  on   the  same   scale   with   the   standing  600,000   of  P. 

To  realize  how  exaggerated  they  are  we  need  but  remember  that  the  Roman 
army  with  which  Vespasian  and  Titus  put  down  the  revolt  of  the  Jews  in  66-70 
A.  D.,  consisted  of  about  60,000  men  of  all  arms.  The  German  army  which 
besieged  Paris  in   1S70  numbered  aljout  240,000. 


^'-:'if:!x:^.jf 


GIBEAH    OF   BENJ.\MIN. 


20  (23)   It  has  been  conjectured  that  v.  3",    in  its  original  conte.xt,  stood  before  3 

V.  14. 

(24)  He  might  very  well   describe   their  purpose  as  an  attempt  on  his   life,  5 
since  his  concubine  actually  died  under  their  maltreatment. 

(25)  The  conclusion  of  the  sentence  (until  we  haz'e  avenged  this  zvrong)  is  8 
25  wanting. 

(26)  It  is  doubtful  whether  any  part  of  these  verses  belongs  to  the  original  9  f. 
narrative.     In   the   last   words   of  v.  9   the   verb,   we   will  go  up,   seems   to   ha\e 
been  accidentally  omitted ;  cf  then  v.  iS,  perhaps  in  a  tertiary  stratum. 

{27)  The  detail  of  one  man  in  ever\-  ten  to  collect  provisions  for  the  host  10 
30  belongs  to  the  later  version ;    it   is  only  for  its   huge  army   that  an   organized 
commissariat  is  necessary. 


95  — »*^SBis- (Jlofce  on  ^uftgce  •siSS'^s** —  20,11-31 

(2S)   The  city  must  be  Gibeah,  but  this  movement  seems  premature;  see  vv.  20 ,  1 1 
18.19.     V.  II  seems  to  be  one  of  the  latest  additions  to  the  chapter. 

(29)  See  note  on  v.  3.  14 

(30)  The  statements  about  the   numbers   of  the   Benjamites   do  not  exactly  15 
5  tally:   our  verse   gives  them  a  total   of  25,700   (Heb.   26,700);  according  to  vv. 

44-47  their  losses  amounted  to  25,000,   while  600  escaped;  v.  35  gives  their  loss 
as  25,100.     The  text   has  suffered   at  the   end   of  v.  15   and   the   beginning  of  v. 
16,  apparently  by  the   accidental   repetition   of  the   words   seven   himdred  young 
warriors. 
10  (31)  The  skill  of  the  Benjamites  as  slingers  was  famous  in  later  times;   see  16 

I  Chron.  12 ,  i  f.  This  skill  may  be  noted  here  to  explain  how  the  Israelites 
lost  so  many  men  in  the  first  two  engagements,  while  the  Benjamites  lost  none, 
—  if  this  does  not  attribute  to  the  writer  too  subtle  reflections. 

(32)  The  author's  conception  of  the  unity  of  Israel  is  such  that  he  thinks  it  17 
15  necessary  formally  to  except  Benjamin  from  the  le\'y  raised  to  make  war  on  that 

tribe. 

(33)  V.  iS  is  perhaps  a  later  addition  to  the  narrative  ;  in  the  sequel  nothing  iS 
of  any  such  precedence  of  Judah  appears ;  cf.  1 ,1  i. 

(34)  V.  19,  parallel  to  v.  20,  seems  to  belong  to  the  older  narrative,  in  which  19 
20  it  would  follow  v.  14,  and  may  have  been  continued  by  v.  29.     Possibly,  how- 
ever, the  old  story  also  told  of  a  repulse  of  Israel  on  the  first  day ;    see   note 
on  v.  22. —  From  Mizpah,  where  they  assembled,  they  marched  on  Gibeah. 

(35)  See  vv.  22.30;  Gen.  14,8.  20 

(36)  VV.  22  and  23  conflict;  after  the  Israelites  were  in  line  of  battle  on  the  22.23 
25  second  day,  they  could  not  go  to  Beth-el,  and  weep  the  day  before.     Either  the 

older  version  also  told  of  a  repulse  on  the  first  day  and  a  renewal  of  the  fight 
on  the  second  (v.  22),  or,  if  v.  22  belongs  to  the  younger  writer,  v.  23  is  a  still 
later  addition  from  vv.  26-28.  The  latter  alternative  is  perhaps  the  more 
probable  ;  v.  24  was  then  inserted  to  recover  the  connection,  and  v.  25  is  the 
30  original  sequel  of  v.  22. 

(37)  Beth-el  was  three  hours  or  more  north  of  Gibeah.     The  Israelites  made  26 
the  most  strenuous   efforts   to   propitiate  Jhvh   by  fasting  and  tears   as  well   as 
sacrifices;  see  21 ,  2  .4;  Ezra  10,  i  ;  Joel  2,15.17;  i  Sam.  7,6,  &c. 

(38)  Verses  27b .  28=1,  which   interrupt   the    connection,    are    late    glosses,    to  27.28 
35  explain   how   they   came   to   offer  sacrifices   and    consult    the    oracle  at   Beth-el, 

instead  of  Shiloh,  where,  according  to  the  late  theory,  the  Ark  and  the  central 
sanctuary  were  from  the  days  of  Joshua  to  those  of  Eli.  The  same  reflection 
has  led  interpreters  to  take  betli-el  appellatively,  as  in  AV :  they  came  unto 
the  house  of  God  (at  Shiloh).  The  name  of  Phinehas,  the  grandson  of 
40  Aaron,  would  fix  the  time  of  the  action  in  the  first  generation  after  the  entrance 
of  the  Israelites  into  Canaan,  to  which  period  it  is  accordingly  assigned  by 
Josephus  and  others  ;  but  the  mention  of  Phinehas  comes  only  from  a  very 
late  editor  or  scribe. 

(39)  V.  29,  which  conflicts  with  v.  30,  comes  from  the  old  stor>'  ;    it  has  its  29 
45  continuation   in   v.  36b,  vv.  37a  .  38  .  39    (in   part)  .  40  .  41  .  44a  .  47.      The  stratagem 

has  a  striking  resemblance  to  that  employed  by  Joshua  against  Ai  (Josh.  8 ,  14  ft". ; 
cf.  especially  Jud.  20,37  ff.  with  Josh.  8,  19  ff.),  but  the  phraseology  is  throughout 
different;  see  also  Jud.  9,34-41;  42-45. 

(40)  The  words,  they  were  drawn  away  from  the  city,  which  are  not  syntac-  31 
50  tically  connected  with  the  sentence,  are  a  gloss  from  Josh.  8,  16  ;  see  below,  v.  32. 

(41)  The  roads  are  mentioned  also  in  vv.  32.45;  but  the  description  here 
is  hard  to  understand.  There  was,  of  course,  a  road  from  Gibeah  to  Beth-el, 
but  what  are  we  to  make  of  the  other  road,  leading  to  Gibeah  ?  If  we  assume 
that  the  writer  had  sufficient  knowledge  of  the  topography,  we  should  probably 


20,33-21,2  -^j-s-ejea*- (llof«6  on  guagce-agM^^^t"-  96 

emend,    Cuba.     The   whole  clause,  which   separates  in  the  open  country  from  the  20 
words   which    this    phrase    qualifies,  is    probably   a   misplaced    fragment    of  the 
preceding  gloss  ;  cf.  v.  32!'. 

(42)  The  site  of  Baal-taniar  is  not  known.  33 

5  (43)  The  ten  thousand  picked  men  are  the  amliush  of  v.  33.  34 

(44)  This  statement  of  the  loss  of  Benjamin  properly  concludes  the  account  35 
of  the  battle,  as  in  vv.  21  .  25 .  46  ;   f/"-  3  .  29  ;  Josh.  8 ,  25  f.,  &c.     That  the  fighting 
begins   anew   in   v.  36!',    as   if   nothing  had   happened,  is   to   be   ascribed  to   the 
fact  that  vv.  36  ff.  come  in  the  main  from  the  older  story. 

'°  (45)  V.  29   must    have   been   followed   by  an   account    of   the    beginning   of  36 

the  engagement,  which  has  been  supplanted  by  vv.  30  ff. ;  after  this  came  vv. 
36b  ff, 

(46)  The   second   half  of  the   verse   merely  repeats  the  first  in  other  words,  37 
and  is  probably  a  gloss. 

15  (47)  This   construction   of  tlie  sentence  removes  the  difficulties  under  which  38  f 

the  common  interpretation  labors.  It  had  been  agreed  that  when  the  ambush 
got  possession  of  the  city,  they  should  send  up  a  smoke  signal ;  and  that 
when  this  appeared,  the  main  body  should  turn  from  their  feigned  flight,  and 
attack  the  Benjamites.     The  execution  of  this  stratagem  is  related  in  vv.  40  f. 

20  (48)  The   holocaust  of  the  city;    see    Josh.  8,20;    and    for    the    expression  40 

Deut.  13,  16. 

(49)  The   wilderness    was    east    of    Gibeah,    the    steep    uncultivated    slopes  42 
which  descend  to  the  Jordan  ;  see  note  on  v.  47. 

(50)  The   men   of  the   ambush   now    issued    from    the    destroyed    city,    and 
25  intercepted   the   retreating   Benjamites,  who   were  thus  caught   and  cut  to  pieces 

between  the  two  bodies  of  the  enemy. 

(51)  The   text   of  this   verse   is   extremely   corrupt.      It    apparently  gives   us  43 
the  limits  of  the  murderous  pursuit;  from  Nohah  (see  i  Chron.  8,2)  to  a  point 
opposite    Geba   eastward.     Geba   lies   in   tlie  line  of  flight  from  Gibeah  to  Rim- 

30  mon  (the  modern  Rammdii)  ;  and  the  valley  between  Geba  and  Michniash 
[ll'ddy  es-Suwein'it),  with  its  steep  and  difficult  pass  (  i  Sam.  14,4  ff. ),  would 
naturally  bring  the  pursuers  to  a  halt. 

(52)  It  is  possible  that  v,  44a  is  derived  from  the  older  source;   the  phrase-  44 
ology   is   not   that  of  vv.  21.25.35.      If  genuine,    it  can   hardly   have    stood    in 

35  this  place  (v.  47a  seems  to  be  the  immediate  sequel  of  v.  41),  but  rather  in  or 
after  v.  47. 

(53)  Tlie  first  clause  is  identical  with  v.  47a,  from  which  it  is  borrowed.  45 

(54)  See  the  note  on  verse  15.  46 

(55)  The   Cliff  of  Rimmon,  now  Raniiuou,  is  a  high   and    rocky   hill,  some-  47 
40  what  more   than   three   mites   east  of  Beth-el    {Beit'in).      It  was   in  a   corner  of 

the  territory  of  Benjamin,  in  the  wilderness  of  Beth-aven  (Josh.  18,  12). 

(56)  Returning   from   the   pursuit,    the    Israelites   extirpated   man   and    lieast  48 
through   all   the   land   of  Benjamin,  and   burned   all  the  towns  ;   they  treated  the 
land   as   devoted  to   destruction   ( Heb.  heretn)  ;  see  Josh.  6 ,  17  ff.;   Deut.  I3,i5f. 

45  In  substance  this  must  have  been  narrgted  in  the  original  story  (see  21  ,  18  ff.)  ; 
but  in  its  present  form  the  verse  is  to  be  attributed  to  the  later  writer. 

(57)  This   oath    is    the    point    on    which    the    older    story    turned    (see   vv,  21,  i 
18.22),  as  well  as  the  younger  (v.  7b). 

(58)  These  verses  bear  throughout  the  marks  of  a  very  late  age  ;  the  account  2-12 
50  of  the  e>rpedition  against  Jabesh  in   Gilead  is   an   imitation  of  Num.  31,  which 

itself  belongs  to  a  tertiary  stratum  in  P.  VV.  4  f.  appear  to  be  additions  by  a 
still  more  recent  hand.  The  building  of  an  altar  at  Beth-el  (v.  4)  is  very  strange 
after  20 ,  26  ;  v.  5a  awkwardly  anticipates  v.  Sa  ;  both  verses  interrupt  the  con- 
nection between  v.  3  and  v.  6. 


97  ^*>.*«i|s®i!- (Jlotcc  on  Jubgca  ^KK^a**^-  21,2-25 

(59)  See  chapter  20,  verses  18.23.26.  21,2 

(60)  See  V.  15,  in  the  old  story,  from  which  v.  6  also  is  derived.  3 

(61)  Jabesh   in  Gilead  (  i  Sam.  II  ;    31  ,  11  -  13;   2  Sam.  2,  5  f.;   21,  12  f.  1  lay  9 
east  of  the  Jordan,  within  a  day's  march  of  Beth-shean.     The  name  survives  in 

5   IVddji   YaSis,  but  the  site  of  the  city  has  not  been  recovered. 

(62)  See   Num.  31,17.     The   injunction   to   preserve   the   virgin   girls    (Num.   11 
31,18;   see   below   v.  12)    is   (jmitted   in   the    Hebrew   text;    most   Greek   copies 
have  inserted  it.  (63)  Num.  31 ,  35.       12 

(64)  Shi /oh,   zi'hich   is   in   the  land  of  Canaan,   i.  e.  west  of  the  Jordan;   see 
10  below,  v.  19. 

(65)  The  story  of  the  rape  of  the  Shilonile  maidens  is  of  a   wholly  different  15-25 
character   from   the   story   of  the   expedition   against  Jabesh,    and    is   as    unques- 
tionably very  old   as  the  latter  is  very  late.      It  has  been  glossed  by  a  younger 
hand   in  vv.  16.19.22;   v.  24   is   the   conclusion   of  the   later  version.      The   text 

15  also  has  suffered  considerably  in  v.  17''  and  perhaps  in  v.  22. 

(66)  The   extinction   of  a   tribe   or   clan   was  a  serious  calamity,  just  as  it  is  15 
to-day  regarded  among  the  Arabs.     See  Doughty,  Arabia  Deserta,  i,  p.  335. 

(67)  The   first   half  of  the   verse  is  to  connect  the  story  of  the  maidens  of   16 
Shiloh  with  that  of  the  four  hundred  virgins   from   Jabesh    in   Gilead.     The    rest 

20  of  the  verse  seems  to  be  properly  in  place  between  v.  15  and  v.  17a. 

( 68 )  The   text   is   corrupt  ;   the   proposed   emendation   follows   certain   Greek   1 7 
translations. 

(69)  The   annual   feast   of  Jhvh   at   Shiloh   was   doubtless,  like  that  of  Baal-  19 
berith  at  Shechem  (9,  27),  a  local  vintage  festival. —  Shiloh  is  the  modern  Seiliin, 

25  the  position  of  which  is  accurately  described  in  the  topographical  gloss  which 
follows.  The  author  of  this  gloss  (see  also  v.  12I1)  must  have  written  for 
readers,  perhaps  in  foreign  lands,  who  had  little  knowledge  of  the  ancient 
holy  places  of  Israel. —  Lcbonah,  now  Lubhan,  was  about  an  hour  NW  of  Shiloh. 

(70)  The   insertion   of  the   gloss   in    v.  ig   necessitated   the  further  change  in  20 
30  V.  20a,  to    recover    the    connection  ;     it    is     must    natural     to    regard    v.   19^    as 

addressed  to  the  Benjamites. 

(71)  Such   dances   were  performed  in  celebration   of  victory    (11,34;    Exod.   21 
15 ,  20 ;  I  Sam.  18 ,  6),  or  at  religious  festivities  (Exod.  32,  19  ;  cf.  Cant.  6,  13). 

(72)  The   clause,  because   they   did  not  get    each   a    wife  in  the    war,  which  22 
35  creates    great   difficulty   in    the   context,    is    apparently   a    gloss   referring  to   the 

attack  on    Jabesh.     The   following   clauses   are   probably   to   be   understood,   You 
have  not  broken  your  oath,   since  they  zvere  taken  by  force. 

(73)  See  the  note  on  chapter  17,  verse  6.  25 


3u63'^  -sS*J<a<-« 


&i6t  of  Jffuefraftone 


1.  Seats   of  the   Twelve  Tribes    (Map) Frontispiece 

2.  Mount   Tabor    (Copyright    by   D.  Appleton    &    Co.   in    the 

United  States  of  America ) facing  p.  8 

3.  "Taanach,    by    the    Streams   of   Megiddo"   (Copyright 

by  D.  Appleton  &  Co.  in  the  United  States  of  America).     .      facing   p.  10 

4.  Top  of  Mount  Gerizim  (Copyright  by  D.  Appleton  &  Co. 

in  the  United  States  of  America) facing   p.  18 

5      Shecheoa    (Copyright  by  D.  Appleton  &  Co.  in    iIk-  I'niteil 

States  of  America ) facing  p.  20 

6.  G  a  z  a facing  p.  30 

7.  n  a  n facing   p.  34 

3ffu6frafton6  tn  fBc  Qlofce. 

Palestinian  Cromlech p.  51 

Rock-tombs  of  Tibneh   {See  p. ^4,  l.^g) P- 55 

Asherah  and  Sacred  Tree P-  57 

Israelites  bearing  tribute  ( From  L.w.vrd,  jMonuments  of  Nineveh.     By 

permission  of  John  Murray,  London ) p.  58 

Upper  Story  of  Oriental  House  near  Sidon p.  59 

Modern  Syrian  Lock p.  60 

Hittite  Chariot p.  62 

Banks  of  the  Kislion  (Coiiyright  by  D.  Appleton  &  Co.  in  the  United 

States  of  America!.     See  p.  62,  /.  j/ P- 63 

Arab  Tents P-  63 

Section  of  a  Wine-press p.  68 

Plain  of  Jezreel  (Copyright  by  D.  Appleton  &  Co.  in  the  United  States 

of  America  I P-  69 

Modern   Palestinian   Hand-mill P-  75 

Ruins  of  'Amman P-  77 

Gorge  of  the  Anion  near  its  mouth  (See  p.  jg,  /. //) P- 78 

Jabbok  (See  p.  79,  I.  13) p.  78 

Rock-altar p.  S3 

Ruins  of  Ashkelon P-  84 

Egyptian  Loom p.  86 

Qaryet  el-'Ineb  (Copyright  by  D.  Apjileton  .S;  Co.  in  tlie  United  States 

of  America!.     See  p.gi,  l.s P- 90 

Laish    (Copyright    by    D.   Appleton    &    Co.   in    the    United   States    of 

America).     See  p.gz,  l.S p.  91 

Gibeah  of  Benjamin  (See  p.gj,  /.j6) p.  94 


28, 


BiXBt  of  £^onfn6ufor0. 


Genesis:  C.J.   Ball  I  London  j. 

Exodus:    Herbert  E.  Ryle  (Cambridge). 

Leviticus:    S.    R.  Driver  and   H.   A.  White  (O.xford). 

Numbers:  J.  A.    Patenson   (Edinburgh). 
5  Deuteronomy:   Geo.   A.   Smith  (Glasgow). 

Joshua  :    W.  H.  Bennett  (London). 

Judges:    George  F.   Moore   (Andover). 

Samuel:    K.   Budde  (Strassburg). 

Kings:    B.   Stade  (Giessen)   and   F.  Schwally   (Strassburg). 
lo  Isaiah:   T.  K.  Cheyne   (Oxford). 

Jeremiah:   C.   H.  Cornill   ( Konigsberg). 

Ezekiel  :   C.  H.  Toy   (Cambridge,   Mass.). 

Hosea:   A.  Socin   (Leipzig). 

Joel:    Francis  Brown  (New  ^'ork). 
15  Amos:  John  Taylor  (Winchcombe). 

Obadiah :   Andrew   Harper  (Melbourne). 

Jonah:    Friedrich   Delitzsch   (Breslau). 

Micah:  J.  F.  McCurdy  (Toronto). 

Nahum  :   Alfred  Jeremias  (Leipzig). 
20  Habakkuk:    W.   H.  Ward   (New' York). 

Zephaniah  :    E.   L.   Curtis   (New   Haven). 

Haggai :   G.   .-X.  Cooke  (Oxford). 

Zechariah  :   W.   R.   Harper  (Chicago). 

Malachi  :    C.  G.   Montefiore  and  I.   .Abrahams  (London). 
25  Psalms:  J.  Wellhausen  (Gottingen). 

Proverbs:   .A.  Miiller"  and  E.  Kautzsch  (Halle). 

Job:   C.  Siegfried  (Jena). 

Song  of  Songs:    Russell    Martineau  (London). 

Ruth  :   C.  A.   Briggs  ( New  York ). 
30  Lamentations:    Morris  Jastrow,   [r.   (Philadelphia).^ 

Ecclesiastes :    Paul   Haupt   (Baltimore). 

Esther:   T.  K.  Abbott   (Dublin). 

Daniel:    A.   Kamphausen   (Bonn). 

Ezra-Nehemiah :    H.  Guthe  (Leipzig). 
35  Chronick-s:    R.   Kittel   (Breslau). 


■!leew&i6:« 


"Died  September  I2ih  1S92.  t 

"Professor  A.  Kucneii  who  liad  agreed  lo  do  tlic  Book  died   December  10"'  1891. 


1 

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DATE  DUE 

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